Kroger, cake, caramel apple

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 8 flagged ingredients

Kroger, cake, caramel apple receives a safety score of 0/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 8 ingredients that have been flagged for potential safety concerns by regulatory or consumer advocacy databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0011110131713
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
0.125 CAKE (77 g)

What the Data Says About

Kroger, cake, caramel apple carries a composite safety score of 0/100, which we classify as "Avoid" on our four-tier shelf-label framework. The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Our scan identified 8 flagged ingredients in this product — components that at least one official source has classified as requiring caution, targeted avoidance, or further evaluation. Flagged ingredients are the items most likely to surface in FDA inspection findings, state-level ingredient bans, or outbreak-related recall notices, so the per-ingredient breakdown below is the most useful lens for anyone screening this product for a specific dietary concern.

On the NOVA processing scale, Kroger, cake, caramel apple is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone. The Nutri-Score grade of E reflects nutritional balance — calories, saturated fat, sugar, sodium versus fiber, protein, and produce content — which again is a distinct dimension from additive safety and worth weighing alongside the scores above.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Kroger, cake, caramel apple
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 8 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score E OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Cake - Bleached Enriched Flour
2
Wheat Flour
3
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
4
Reduced Iron
5
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Riboflavin And Folic Acid
7
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
8
Soy Oil
9
Eggs
10
Water
11
Walnuts
12
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
13
Egg Whites
14
Apples
15
With Sodium Sulfite As Preservative
16
Corn Starch
17
Spice
18
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
19
Baking Soda
20
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate
21
Molasses
22
Propylene Glycol Esters
23
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
24
Corn Syrup
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
Cut Back GRAS
25
Sorbitan Monostearate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Safe Approved
26
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
27
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
28
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
29
Artificial Flavor
30
Cellulose Gum
31
Guar Gum
32
Mono And Diglycerides
33
Sodium Benzoate And Benzoic Acid
34
Preservatives
35
Whey
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FORMULATION AID, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
36
Milk
37
Soy Lecithin
38
Icing-powdered Sugar
39
Vegetable Shortening
40
Palm Oil
41
Canola Oil
42
Soybean Oil
43
Liquid Sugar
44
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
45
Sodium Propionate And Potassium Sorbate And Sorbic Acid
46
Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Approved
47
Natural And Artificial Flavor
48
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
49
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
50
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
51
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS
52
White Chocolate With Print - Sugar
53
Cocoa Butter
54
Whole Milk Powder
55
Lactose
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
56
Emulsifiers
57
Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate
58
Natural Vanilla Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
59
Colors: Titanium Dioxide
60
Fd & C Red 40
61
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
62
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
63
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
64
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
65
Coconut Oil
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Listed
66
Nonfat Milk Powder
67
Palm Kernel Oil
68
Monoglycerides
69
Artificial Vanilla Flavor
70
Edible Glitter-sugar
71
Carnauba Wax
72
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
73
Propylene Glycol
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
74
Mica
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT
Color Additive
75
Titanium Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TRACER
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
76
Fd & C Blue 1
77
Red 3
Avoid Banned (FDA revoked Jan 2025)
78
Red 4

Full Ingredient List

Cake - bleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin and folic acid), sugar, soy oil, eggs, water, walnuts, high fructose corn syrup, egg whites, apples (with sodium sulfite as preservative), modified corn starch, spice, salt, baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, molasses, propylene glycol esters, wheat gluten, corn syrup, sorbitan monostearate, polysorbate 60, xanthan gum, sodium stearoyl lactylate, artificial flavor, cellulose gum, guar gum, mono and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and benzoic acid (preservatives), whey (milk), soy lecithin, icing-powdered sugar, vegetable shortening (palm oil, canola oil, and/or soybean oil, mono and diglycerides, polysorbate 60), liquid sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, water, caramel color, salt, sodium propionate and potassium sorbate and sorbic acid (preservatives), polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, natural and artificial flavor, cornstarch, dextrose, red 40, citric acid, white chocolate with print - sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, lactose (milk), emulsifiers (soy lecithin, polyglycerol polyricinoleate), natural vanilla hydrogenated palm kernel oil, colors: titanium dioxide, fd & c red 40, blue 2, yellow 6, blue 1, yellow 5, coconut oil, nonfat milk powder, palm kernel oil, monoglycerides, artificial vanilla flavor, edible glitter-sugar, carnauba wax, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, propylene glycol, mica, titanium dioxide, fd & c blue 1, red 3, red 40, yellow 6, yellow 5, blue 2, red 4.

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Cakes

Data Sources

Data as of 2025. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.

This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.

Related

Data sourced from official FDA, USDA, and CDC food-safety databases. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial