Avoid

Handmade chocolates

Scores 15/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 5 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0017109347554 · Serving size 1 PIECE (14 g)

The verdict

Handmade chocolates scores 15/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 43 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 5 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

15/100
Avoid safety score
5
flagged ingredients of 43 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
E
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

What the Data Says About Handmade chocolates

Handmade chocolates carries a composite safety score of 15/100, which we classify as "Avoid" 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

Our scan identified 5 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, Handmade chocolates 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 Handmade chocolates
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 15/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 5 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.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 94,909 products we've scored in the Snacks category, the average safety score is 87.4/100. Handmade chocolates scores 72.4 points below that category average (15/100 vs. 87.4/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Milk Chocolate
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Milk
4
Cocoa Butter
5
Chocolate Liquor
6
Soy Lecithin
7
Emulsifier
8
Vanilla
9
Dark Chocolate
10
Milk Fat
11
Natural Flavors
12
Heavy Cream
13
Cream
14
Carrageenan
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Caution GRAS
15
Mono And Diglycerides
16
Cellulose Gum
17
Polysorbate 80
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
18
Tapioca Syrup
19
White Coating
20
Palm Kernel And Palm Oil
21
Nonfat Dry Milk
22
Whole Milk
23
Butter
24
Pasteurized Cream
25
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
26
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
27
Chocolate Mass
28
Natural Flavor
29
Vanilla Extract
30
Red Coloring
31
Propylene Glycol
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
32
Red 3
Avoid Banned (FDA revoked Jan 2025)
33
Creme Brulee Flavor
34
Invertase
35
Enzyme Solution
36
Glycerol
37
Sparkling Sugar
38
Carnauba Wax
39
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
40
Pink Sparkling Sugar
41
Cane Sugar
42
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
43
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Milk chocolate (sugar, milk, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla), dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor (processed with alkali), cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin (emulsifier), natural flavors), sugar, heavy cream (cream, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides, cellulose gum, polysorbate 80), tapioca syrup, white coating (sugar, palm kernel and palm oil, nonfat dry milk, whole milk, soy lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla), butter (pasteurized cream, salt), salt, corn syrup, chocolate mass, natural flavor, vanilla extract, red coloring (propylene glycol, red 3, soy lecithin), creme brulee flavor (propylene glycol, natural flavor), invertase (enzyme solution, glycerol), sparkling sugar (sugar, carnauba wax), sea salt, pink sparkling sugar (cane sugar, carnauba wax, red 3), red 40 lake, yellow 5 lake.

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Cocoa and its products Confectioneries Chocolate candies

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.