Mug treats rainbow chip cake

by Betty Crocker

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Mug treats rainbow chip cake by Betty Crocker receives a safety score of 50/100 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
0016000135635
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 pouch mix + 1 pouch frosting (99 g) (99 g)

What the Data Says About

Mug treats rainbow chip cake by Betty Crocker carries a composite safety score of 50/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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, Mug treats rainbow chip 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. 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 Mug treats rainbow chip cake
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 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
Frosting
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
4
Palm Oil
5
Corn Starch
6
Water
7
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
8
Nonfat Milk
9
Palm Kernel Oil
10
Palm Oil
11
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
12
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
13
Distilled Monoglycerides
14
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
15
Color
16
Yellow Lakes 5 & 6
17
Red Lake 40
18
Blue Lakes 1 & 2
19
Yellows 5 & 6 And Other Color Added
20
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
21
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
22
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
23
Preservative
24
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
25
Soy Lecithin
26
Natural And Artificial Flavor
27
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
28
Enriched Flour Bleached
29
Wheat Flour
30
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
31
Iron
32
Thiamin Mononitrate
33
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
34
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
35
Or Less Of: Cellulose Powder
36
Corn Starch
37
Canola Oil
38
Leavening
39
Baking Soda
40
Monocalcium Phosphate
41
Whey Protein Isolate
42
Egg White
43
Corn Cereal
44
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
45
Sodium Caseinate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
46
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
47
Cellulose Gum
48
Artificial Flavor
49
Yellows 5 & 6
50
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
51
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Frosting (sugar, high fructose corn syrup, palm oil, corn starch, water, corn syrup, nonfat milk, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated palm oil, coconut oil, salt, distilled monoglycerides, polysorbate 60, color [yellow lakes 5 & 6, red lake 40, blue lakes 1 & 2, yellows 5 & 6 and other color added], modified cellulose, sodium stearoyl lactylate, potassium sorbate [preservative], sodium acid pyrophosphate, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavor, citric acid), sugar, enriched flour bleached (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid). contains 2% or less of: cellulose powder, corn starch, palm oil, modified corn starch, canola oil, leavening (baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), whey protein isolate, egg white, distilled monoglycerides, salt, corn syrup, soy lecithin, corn cereal, whey, sodium caseinate, xanthan gum, sodium stearoyl lactylate, cellulose gum, artificial flavor, color (yellows 5 & 6, red 40, blue 1).

Categories

Cooking helpers

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