Chocolate Lucky Charms Cereal

by General Mills

75
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Chocolate Lucky Charms Cereal by General Mills receives a safety score of 75/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient 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
0016000151253
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 cup (36 g) (36 g)

What the Data Says About

Chocolate Lucky Charms Cereal by General Mills carries a composite safety score of 75/100, 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 1 flagged ingredient 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, Chocolate Lucky Charms Cereal 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 D 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 Chocolate Lucky Charms Cereal
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 75/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score D OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Whole Grain Corn
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
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
4
Canola Oil
5
Or Less Of: Dextrose
6
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
7
Yellow 5 & 6
8
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
9
Blue 1 And Other Color Added
10
Corn Starch
11
Corn Starch
12
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
13
Gelatin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
14
Fructose
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Natural And Artificial Flavor
16
Trisodium Phosphate.vitamins And Minerals: Calcium Carbonate
17
Tricalcium Phosphate
18
Vitamin C
19
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
20
Iron And Zinc
21
Mineral Nutrients
22
A B Vitamin
23
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
24
Vitamin B1
25
Thiamin Mononitrate
26
Vitamin A
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
27
Palmitate
28
Vitamin B2
29
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
30
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
31
Vitamin B12
32
Vitamin D3

Full Ingredient List

Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Canola Oil. Contains 2% or less of: Dextrose, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Yellow 5 & 6, Red 40, Blue 1 and Other Color Added, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Starch, Salt, Gelatin, Fructose, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Trisodium Phosphate.Vitamins and Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), Iron and Zinc (mineral nutrients), A B Vitamin (niacinamide), Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), Vitamin A (palmitate), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), A B Vitamin (folic acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3.

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Cereals and potatoes Cereals and their products

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