Mug Treats

by Betty Crocker

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Mug Treats 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
0016000149366
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 pouch mix + 1 pouch frosting (90 g) (90 g)

What the Data Says About

Mug Treats 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 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
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
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
2
Enriched Flour Bleached
3
Wheat Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Iron
6
Thiamin Mononitrate
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Vegetable Oil
10
Palm
11
Canola
12
Palm Kernel
13
Organic Coconut
14
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Corn Starch
16
Water
17
% Or Less Of: Corn Syrup
18
Cellulose Powder
19
Corn Starch
20
Leavening
21
Baking Soda
22
Monocalcium Phosphate
23
Whey Protein Isolate
24
Egg White
25
Monoglycerides
26
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
27
Nonfat Milk
28
Soy Lecithin
29
Corn Cereal
30
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
31
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
32
Palm Oil
33
Color
34
Yellows 5 & 6
35
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
36
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
37
Yellow Lakes 5 & 6
38
Red Lake 40
39
Blue Lakes 1 & 2 And Other Color Added
40
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
41
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
42
Cellulose Gum
43
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
44
Natural And Artificial Flavor
45
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
46
Preservative
47
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
48
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
49
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

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Vegetable Oil (palm, canola, palm kernel, coconut), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Starch, Water. Contains 2 % or less of: Corn Syrup, Cellulose Powder, Modified Corn Starch, Leavening (baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), Whey Protein Isolate, Egg White, Monoglycerides, Salt, Nonfat Milk, Soy Lecithin, Corn Cereal, Whey, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Color (yellows 5 & 6, red 40, blue 1, yellow lakes 5 & 6, red lake 40, blue lakes 1 & 2 and other color added), Sodium Caseinate, Polysorbate 60, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Modified Cellulose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Citric Acid.

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