Betty Crocker Reese's Dessert Bar Mix

by Betty Crocker

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Betty Crocker Reese's Dessert Bar Mix 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
0016000179714
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1/15 pkg (30 g mix) (30 g)

What the Data Says About

Betty Crocker Reese's Dessert Bar Mix 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, Betty Crocker Reese's Dessert Bar Mix 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 Betty Crocker Reese's Dessert Bar Mix
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
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
Chocolaty Topping
10
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
11
Water
12
Chocolate Liquor
13
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
14
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
15
Artificial Color
16
Agar-agar
17
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
18
Preservative
19
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
20
Acetylated Monoglycerides
21
Corn Starch
22
Sodium Phosphate
23
Artificial Flavor
24
Locust Bean Gum
25
Nonfat Milk
26
Palm Oil
27
Reese's Peanut Butter
28
Peanuts
29
Monoglycerides
30
Peanut Oil
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
31
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
32
Molasses
33
Corn Starch
34
Peanut Flour
35
Hershey's Cocoa
36
Whole Wheat Flour
37
Natural And Artificial Flavor
38
Brown Sugar
39
Baking Soda
40
Monocalcium Phosphate
41
Malted Barley And Corn Syrup
42
Color
43
Yellows 5 & 6
44
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
45
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), chocolaty topping (sugar, corn syrup, water, chocolate liquor, high fructose corn syrup, cocoa processed with alkali, artificial color, agar-agar, potassium sorbate [preservative], citric acid, acetylated monoglycerides, modified corn starch, sodium phosphate, artificial flavor, locust bean gum, nonfat milk), palm oil, reese's peanut butter (peanuts, sugar, monoglycerides, peanut oil, salt, molasses, corn starch), peanut flour, cocoa processed with alkali, nonfat milk, hershey's cocoa, whole wheat flour, salt, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn syrup, natural and artificial flavor, brown sugar, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate, malted barley and corn syrup, 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