Cheerios Oat Crunch Chocolate

by General Mills

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Cheerios Oat Crunch Chocolate by General Mills receives a safety score of 95/100 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
0016000226067
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
54g

What the Data Says About

Cheerios Oat Crunch Chocolate by General Mills carries a composite safety score of 95/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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, Cheerios Oat Crunch Chocolate 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 Cheerios Oat Crunch Chocolate
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 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 Oats
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Whole Grain Corn
4
Corn Starch
5
Canola Oil
6
Sunflower Oil
7
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
8
Rice Flour
9
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
10
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
11
Corn Starch
12
Unsweetened Chocolate
13
Tripotassium Phosphate
14
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
15
Annatto Extract
16
Baking Soda
17
Natural Flavor
18
Rosemary Extract
19
Vitamin E
20
Mixed Tocopherols
21
Tricalcium Phosphate
22
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
23
Iron
24
Zinc
25
Vitamin C
26
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
27
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
28
Calcium Pantothenate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
29
Thiamin Mononitrate
30
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
31
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
32
Vitamin B12
33
Vitamin A
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
34
Palmitate
35
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
36
Vitamin D3. May Contain Wheat Ingredients

Full Ingredient List

Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Whole Grain Corn, Modified Corn Starch, Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Rice Flour, Corn Syrup, Salt, Corn Starch, Unsweetened Chocolate, Tripotassium Phosphate, Caramel Color, Annatto Extract, Baking Soda, Natural Flavor, Rosemary Extract, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols), Tricalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, Vitamin A (palmitate), Folic Acid, Vitamin D3. MAY CONTAIN WHEAT INGREDIENTS.

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Breakfasts Cereals and potatoes Cereals and their products Breakfast cereals

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