Duncan Hines
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Duncan Hines, current as of September 2026. Screening averages and flag shares live in the short-answer band below. This hero only situates the catalog slice.
The short answer
Duncan Hines averages 77.8/100 across the 183 of 209 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 53.0% of those contain at least one separately flagged ingredient. The figure summarizes Open Food Facts labels cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI; it does not establish recall status, allergy suitability, or the composition of products outside this snapshot.
- 77.8/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 183 scored products
- 209
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 53.0%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 95.6%
- of NOVA-classified products that are ultra-processed (Group 4)
Source snapshot current as of September 2026; open individual products before making a product-specific decision.
Portfolio reading
Use the distribution, then open the outliers
With 209 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Fruity Pebbles Cake Kit; Cookie dough cookie kit; Duncan hines, decadent brownie mix, chocolate candy; 53.0% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 77.8/100. Open those outliers first, then compare neighboring formulations. The aggregate does not establish recall status, allergen suitability, or the composition of an item outside this snapshot.
| Signal | Duncan Hines | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg safety score | 77.8/100 | Mid-range |
| Products tracked | 209 | OpenFoodFacts US index |
| Flagged ingredients | 53.0% | FDA SAFFA + CSPI flag overlap |
What the Data Says About Duncan Hines
Duncan Hines: 209 products tracked, 183 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 77.8/100, 53.0% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
53.0% of the scored Duncan Hines products contain at least one separately flagged ingredient. That distribution is the primary finding; the average does not make those affected formulations "mostly safe." Scoring methodology + dye-pledge context →
Across the 894,137 products we index overall, the average safety score is 92.8/100, and Duncan Hines sits 15 points below that fleet-wide average. Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), Duncan Hines's 53.0% flagged share is 35 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Duncan Hines processing intensity
Duncan Hines's NOVA-classified set is 183 products: 95.6% ultra-processed (Group 4, 175 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 175. That ultra-processed share sits 17.3 points above the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Duncan Hines shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Duncan Hines concentrates in Snacks (96, 58% of this top-five); Cooking helpers (47); Baking-decorations (17); Plant-based foods and beverages (5); Desserts (1).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snacks | 93 | 76.7/100 | 50.5% |
| Cooking helpers | 46 | 82.7/100 | 52.2% |
| Baking-decorations | 17 | 65.6/100 | 70.6% |
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 5 | 83/100 | 60% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Duncan Hines's 53.0% flagged share is measured across 183 scored products. The chart places that rate against the 50 brands with 50+ scored products in this snapshot, the same qualifying cohort used on the rankings page.
Duncan Hines flagged share vs large-brand cohort
53.0% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
53% 0th percentile is at or above the flagged share of 0% of the 50 qualifying brands we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more qualifying brands. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 0%–10%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 10%–20%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 20%–30%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 30%–40%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 40%–50%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 50%–60%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 60%–70%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 70%–80%
- 3 qualifying brands (6%)
- 80%–90%
- 25 qualifying brands (50%)
- 90% and above
- 22 qualifying brands (44%)
Source Open Food Facts × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Portfolio shape
How scores cluster inside this brand
The brand average (77.8/100) summarizes 183 scored products. This distribution shows whether that mean sits on a tight cluster or a wide spread, a few low-scoring SKUs can matter even when the headline average looks strong.
Duncan Hines product score distribution
Brand average 77.8/100 across 183 scored products
78 34th percentile sits above 34% of the 183 scored products we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more scored products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 0–10
- 9 scored products (5%)
- 10–20
- 2 scored products (1%)
- 20–30
- 5 scored products (3%)
- 30–40
- 9 scored products (5%)
- 40–50
- 4 scored products (2%)
- 50–60
- 14 scored products (8%)
- 60–70
- 2 scored products (1%)
- 70–80
- 34 scored products (19%)
- 80–90
- 4 scored products (2%)
- 90–100
- 14 scored products (8%)
- 100 and above
- 86 scored products (47%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Duncan Hines relies most on Red 40, an industry staple
Across the 183 Duncan Hines products scored here, Red 40 appears in 64. It is used by 2,397 other brands in this database (6.8% of them), so its presence says more about the category than about this brand. A flag records that a named source raised a concern about an ingredient. It is not a finding that a product is unsafe to eat.
| Flagged ingredient | Duncan Hines products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Red 40 | 64 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 5 | 45 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Caramel Coloring | 24 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Titanium Dioxide | 17 | Restricted: EU (banned); California (under review) |
| Blue 1 | 16 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Carrageenan | 15 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Yellow 6 | 12 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Blue 2 | 7 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
Counts are products in this database whose ingredient list names the flagged ingredient. Flags come from FDA enforcement actions, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings and US state ingredient laws; see the methodology for how each source is applied.
Visible product sample
Label complexity does not determine the screening result
Each point is one of the 50 concern-sorted Duncan Hines records shown below. Horizontal position is the number of resolved ingredients on that product's stored label; vertical position is its source-derived screening score. The dashed medians (29 ingredients and 40/100) divide this displayed sample only. A longer label is not automatically worse: open a specific product to inspect its flagged rows and source coverage.
- Shown records
- 50
- Median label
- 29 ingredients
- Median score
- 40/100
The outlined point is Fruity Pebbles Cake Kit, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (7). Bubble size represents flagged ingredient count plus one, so zero-flagged products remain visible. The score is derived from FDA SAFFA and CSPI fields; this chart does not establish recall status, dietary suitability, or a health outcome.
Read the plotted values
- Fruity Pebbles Cake Kit: 68 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 7 flagged.
- Cookie dough cookie kit: 54 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Duncan hines, decadent brownie mix, chocolate candy: 37 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Sugar Cookie Holiday Mega Pan Cookie Mix, Sugar Cookie: 32 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Duncan hines, chocolate cake & frosting mix, chocolate lover's: 38 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Duncan hines, autumn velvets, cake mix: 34 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Confetti Cake: 35 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Salted caramel brownie mix, salted caramel: 33 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 5 flagged.
- Duncan hines, amaretto brownie mix: 34 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 5 flagged.
- Turtle brownie mix: 33 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 5 flagged.
- Duncan hines, confetti cupcake mix, confetti cupcake, confetti cupcake: 40 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Duncan hines, signature cake mix, confetti: 36 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Duncan hines, comstock, pie filling & topping, original key lime creme: 17 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Duncan hines, wilderness, original key lime creme pie filling & topping: 17 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Creamy home-style frosting: 21 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Duncan Hines galaxy cup cake: 33 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Duncan hines, holiday velvets moist cake mixes: 30 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Vanilla flavored pink cake mix with sprinkles: 32 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Duncan hines, perfect size, golden cake mix & chocolate fudge frosting mix, golden fudge: 33 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Duncan hines, whipped frosting, vanilla: 23 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Duncan hines, whipped frosting, cream cheese: 30 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Duncan hines, signature cake mix, strawberry supreme: 35 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Creamy home-style buttercream premium frosting: 20 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Creamy strawberries 'n cream flavored frosting: 24 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Home Style Frosting Cream Cheese: 20 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Perfectly Moist Carrot Cake Mix: 24 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Duncan hines, signature cake mix, banana supreme: 29 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Signature perfectly moist banana supreme cake mix: 32 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Duncan hines, cake, filling & glaze mixes, vanilla creme cake: 28 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Duncan hines, creamy frosting, maple spice, maple spice: 20 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Duncan hines, decadent brownie mix, irish cream: 32 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 3 flagged.
- Frosting Creations Flavour Mix: 6 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Classic yellow cake mix: 26 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Butter golden cake mix, butter golden imp: 26 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Dolly Parton's Yellow Cake Mix: 21 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, perfect size, lemon bliss cake & frosting mix, lemon, lemon: 34 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, deliciously moist cake mix, classic yellow: 26 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, deliciously moist cake mix, fudge marble: 27 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, pineapple supreme moist cake mix: 30 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Signature perfectly moist pineapple supreme naturally: 26 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, classic butter golden cake mix, butter golden, butter golden: 23 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, cake mix, orange supreme: 27 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, summer velvets, moist cake mix, red velvet, blue velvet: 29 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Peach Cobbler Kit: 27 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, comstock, cherry pie filling & topping: 8 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, frosting creations mix, white chocolate raspberry: 6 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Apple Caramel Cake Mix: 45 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Signature perfectly moist spice cake mix: 23 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, cake mix, classic carrot: 31 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Duncan hines, key lime filling & graham cracker crust mixes, key lime pie: 20 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
Products by Duncan Hines
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 159 tracked records with unusable upstream names remain in the aggregate but are not shown.
Nationwide brands with similar catalog profiles
Two PlainFoodSafe-derived peer sets for Duncan Hines: closest on tracked product count (209 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (77.8/100 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood, not a largest-catalog strip.
Similar product count
Nearest other brands by Open Food Facts product count (floored at ≥50).
Similar average screening score
Nearest other brands by average ingredient screening score (floored at ≥50 scored products), distinct from the count row.
Counts and averages from Open Food Facts labels screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine; neither axis is a health outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Duncan Hines food safe? ▼
Duncan Hines has an average safety score of 78/100 across the 183 of 209 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 53.0% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Duncan Hines products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 209 Duncan Hines products. 183 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 26 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Duncan Hines catalog? ▼
Duncan Hines has 183 NOVA-classified products; 95.6% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 175 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Duncan Hines catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Duncan Hines concentrates in Snacks (96, 58% of this top-five); Cooking helpers (47); Baking-decorations (17); Plant-based foods and beverages (5); Desserts (1).
Does Duncan Hines use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Duncan Hines items list a synthetic dye on their label. For whether the company has committed to removing dyes, the FDA and CSPI both publish corporate-commitment trackers; we no longer restate those commitments here.
What to do with this Duncan Hines profile
Use this roll-up as orientation, then verify the specific package you hold against its ingredient panel and the named official sources.
- Start with Fruity Pebbles Cake Kit, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (7) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Red 40 appears in 64 scored Duncan Hines products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Duncan Hines's 77.8/100 average and 53.0% flagged share against other brands before treating either figure as a recall or clearance signal. Brand safety rankings
- Cross-check any additive concern against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine rather than relying on this derived index alone. Scoring methodology
A flagged ingredient records a source concern, not a recall, ban, or medical clearance. Always verify the current package label and consult official sources for product-specific decisions.
Citation & disclaimer notes
Brand scores aggregate ingredient-level FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings across Open Food Facts product data. See our methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe.Disclaimer: Informational purposes only; not professional advice. A flagged ingredient is not a recall or a ban. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Brand figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2026.
