red velvet cake

by Kroger

70
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

red velvet cake by Kroger receives a safety score of 70/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 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
0011110195838
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

red velvet cake by Kroger carries a composite safety score of 70/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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 2 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, red velvet cake 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for red velvet cake
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 70/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
2
Enriched Bleached Flour
3
Wheat Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Reduced Iron
6
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Vitamin D 0.3mcg 2% Calcium 70mg 6% Boflavin
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Eggs
10
Soybean Oil
11
Water
12
Or Less Of: Cocoa Powder Processed With Alkali
13
Corn Starch
14
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
15
Distilled Monoglycerides
16
Leavening
17
Baking Soda
18
Monocalcium Phosphate
19
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
20
Vital Wheat Gluten
21
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
22
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
23
Calcium Acetate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
24
Guar Gum
25
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
26
Natural And Artificial Flavor
27
Soy Flour
28
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
29
Blue 1. Icing Also
30
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
31
Palm Vegetable Shortening
32
Interesterified Soybean Oil
33
Cottonseed Oil
34
Corn Soup
35
Calcium Carbonate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
36
Agar
37
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
38
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
39
Lemon Oil
40
Mono-and Diglycerides
41
Wheat
42
Milk
43
Soy. May Contain: Coconut
44
Pecan
45
Pistachio
46
Walnut

Full Ingredient List

sugar, enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin d 0.3mcg 2% calcium 70mg 6% boflavin, folic acid), eggs, soybean oil, water. contains 2% or less of: cocoa powder processed with alkali, modified corn starch, whey, distilled monoglycerides, leavening (baking soda, monocalcium phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate), vital wheat gluten, salt, sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium acetate, guar gum, xanthan gum, natural and artificial flavor, soy flour, red 40, blue 1. icing also contains: maltodextrin, palm vegetable shortening (interesterified soybean oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated cottonseed oil), corn soup, calcium carbonate, agar, sorbitan monostearate, caramel color, lemon oil, mono-and diglycerides. contains: wheat, eggs, milk, soy. may contain: coconut, pecan, pistachio, walnut.

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