Red Baron Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza: Labelgrade C (64/100)
C 64 / 100 — Additive-heavy formulation (maltodextrin or corn syrup and MSG or curing nitrites), low sugar load, and high sodium per 100g.
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Red Baron Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza delivers 14g of protein and 340 calories per 0.25 PIZZA (USDA FDC 2032003). Per 100g that’s 10.2g of protein; per oz, 2.9g. The Labelgrade is C (64 / 100): Additive-heavy formulation (maltodextrin or corn syrup and MSG or curing nitrites), low sugar load, and high sodium per 100g.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C+ | 65 / 100 | 10.2g per 100g — moderate; the per-serving total matters more than the per-unit density |
| Ingredient quality | C | 63 / 100 | 57 ingredients; flagged maltodextrin or corn syrup + MSG or curing nitrites |
| Saturated fat load | B | 77 / 100 | 5g per serving (3.6g per 100g) — moderate |
| Sodium load | F | 33 / 100 | 890mg per serving (184mg per oz) — high; structural for cured/preserved foods |
| Sugar load | A+ | 95 / 100 | 8g sugar; USDA omits the added-sugar line, but the ingredients list a sweetener — scored as added, not naturally-occurring |
| Fiber | D | 41 / 100 | 2.06g per serving — modest fiber contribution |
| Overall | C | 64 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 25% · ingredients 22% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 12% · fiber 8% |
How it compares
| Product | Protein per serving | Per 100 g | Per oz | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Baron Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza (this product) | 14g | 10.2g | 2.9g | 340 |
| Newman’s Own Thin & Crispy Margherita Pizza | 12g | 9.2g | 2.6g | 280 |
| Amy’s Cheese Pizza Bites | 7g | 9.1g | 2.6g | 180 |
| DiGiorno Pepperoni Rising Crust Pizza | 16g | 11.4g | 3.2g | 350 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | — | 31g | 8.8g | ~165 |
A quarter-slice already carries 890mg of sodium
The serving size on the box is 1/4 of the pizza, and that single quarter brings 890mg of sodium — about 39% of the FDA’s 2,300mg daily ceiling. That’s the number that caps the grade, and it’s worth sitting with, because the label fraction flatters it. A quarter of a rising-crust pizza is one wedge, and very few people eat one wedge and put the rest back. Two slices — half the pie — is 680 calories and roughly 1,780mg of sodium, which is three-quarters of a day’s allowance from a single dinner.
The salt isn’t an accident of this particular pie; it’s how the category is built. Cured pepperoni is preserved and seasoned with salt. The low-moisture mozzarella is salted. The dough carries added salt plus sodium-bearing dough conditioners (DATEM, sodium-containing leaveners). Put those three together on a browned, shelf-stable crust and 890mg is what you get. Pair that with 5g of saturated fat per slice and the picture is clear: this is a salt-and-saturated-fat delivery system that happens to carry some protein, not the other way around.
The ingredient list is the longest in its class
Red Baron’s rising-crust pepperoni carries one of the longer ingredient lists you’ll meet in the freezer aisle — 57 distinct items, which is why ingredient quality lands at a C. Most of it is ordinary pizza (flour, water, mozzarella, tomato, pepperoni), but the tail is a parade of industrial helpers: maltodextrin, hydrolyzed soy and corn protein, modified food starch, guar gum, xanthan gum, soy lecithin, beta carotene and vitamin A palmitate for color, plus the curing chemistry on the pepperoni (sodium nitrite, BHA, BHT). None of it is alarming in the amounts used, and a long list is normal for a frozen pizza engineered to survive months in a freezer and bake up looking fresh. But it’s the opposite of a short, recognizable label, and it’s a fair part of why this sits at a C rather than higher.
Where it edges out a bottom-tier pizza is the cheese. Red Baron uses real low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, and that’s where the bulk of the 14g of protein comes from — actual dairy, not an imitation-cheese stand-in. That single fact is what separates a middling pizza from a poor one.
Scope
This page covers Red Baron Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza (19.33 oz/547 g), UPC 072180567369, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 2032003. Red Baron sells multiple variants in this product line — other sizes, flavors, or fat levels may have different macros and Labelgrade scores. Manufacturers periodically reformulate; always cross-reference the actual package label, especially if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, LOW MOISTURE PART SKIM MOZZARELLA CHEESE (CULTURED PASTEURIZED PART SKIM MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), TOMATO PASTE, PEPPERONI MADE WITH PORK, CHICKEN AND BEEF (PORK, MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, BEEF, SALT, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: WATER, DEXTROSE, SPICES, SMOKE FLAVORING, LACTIC ACID STARTER CULTURE, SODIUM ASCORBATE, FLAVORING, GARLIC POWDER, SODIUM NITRITE, BHA, BHT, CITRIC ACID, CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF: PAPRIKA, OLEORESIN OF PAPRIKA), YEAST, BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PALM OIL, LIQUID AND HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, SALT, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, DATEM, WHEAT GLUTEN, SPICE, DEXTROSE, DRIED GARLIC, MALTODEXTRIN, HYDROLYZED SOY AND CORN PROTEIN, PAPRIKA, DRIED ONION, GUAR GUM, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, ASCORBIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN GUM, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, WHEAT STARCH, ENZYMES.
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 0.25 PIZZA
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (0.25 PIZZA) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 340 |
| Protein | 14g |
| Total Fat | 12g |
| Saturated Fat | 5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 45g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.06g |
| Total Sugars | 8g |
| Sodium | 890mg |
| Cholesterol | 24.7mg |
| Calcium | 149mg |
| Iron | 3.6mg |
| Potassium | 260mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza (19.33 oz/547 g) · UPC 072180567369. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains meat, fish, or gelatin
contains a gluten-bearing ingredient
Frequently Asked Questions
Is frozen pepperoni pizza healthy?
No — treat it as an occasional convenience food, not health food. Red Baron's rising crust gives you 14g of protein a slice (mostly from the mozzarella), but that comes packaged with refined flour, saturated fat from the cheese and cured pork, and a big slug of sodium. It's a perfectly fine thing to eat once in a while; it's a problem if it becomes a weeknight default, because the salt and saturated fat add up quickly.
Why does Red Baron Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza get a C?
A C (64/100) means middle of the pack, and sodium is the anchor dragging it there: it scores an F (33/100) on sodium at 890mg per slice. Protein density is a C+, the ingredient list is a C (57 ingredients, including curing nitrites and maltodextrin), and saturated fat is a B at 5g. The real cheese earns some honest protein credit — that's what keeps it off the floor — but the salt holds the overall grade down.
Why is there so much sodium in Red Baron pepperoni pizza?
It piles up from three sources: cured pepperoni (salt is integral to curing), the salted low-moisture mozzarella, and the dough, which adds salt plus sodium-bearing conditioners. The total is 890mg for a single 1/4 slice — about 39% of the 2,300mg daily limit. Pepperoni is the biggest contributor; a plain cheese version of a rising-crust pizza runs lower on every salt-driving front.
What counts as a serving of Red Baron Rising Crust, really?
The label defines a serving as 1/4 of the pizza — 137g, 340 calories, 890mg sodium. On a pizza this size that's a generous wedge, but it's still only a quarter of the pie, and most people don't stop at one. Eat half the pizza (two slices) and you're at 680 calories and ~1,780mg sodium — roughly three-quarters of a day's sodium in one sitting. Judge it by what you'll actually eat, not the printed fraction.
Is there a better-graded frozen pizza to pick instead?
Yes. If you want pizza with a cleaner label, go thin-crust and skip the cured meat: a cheese or margherita pizza cuts both the sodium and the saturated fat that cap this one. Newman's Own Thin & Crispy Margherita is the better-graded pick in this set. You trade a couple grams of protein for a shorter ingredient list and a lot less salt — a good deal in this category.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-05, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2032003. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates.