Mini Chocolate Cake Bites

by Pillsbury

70
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Mini Chocolate Cake Bites by Pillsbury receives a safety score of 70/100 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
0018000515332
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
4 MINI BITES (90 g)

What the Data Says About

Mini Chocolate Cake Bites by Pillsbury carries a composite safety score of 70/100, 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 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, Mini Chocolate Cake Bites 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 Mini Chocolate Cake Bites
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 70/100 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
Cake Mix
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Soybean Oil
4
Eggs
5
Enriched Flour Bleached
6
Wheat Flour
7
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Iron
9
Thiamin Mononitrate
10
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
11
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
12
Palm Oil
13
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
14
Corn Starch
15
Whey Powder
16
Leavening
17
Baking Soda
18
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate
19
Vital Wheat Gluten
20
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
21
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
22
Propylene Glycol Mono And Diesters Of Fatty Acids
23
Mono And Diglycerides
24
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
25
Tricalcium Phosphate
26
Corn Starch
27
Artificial Flavor
28
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
29
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
30
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
31
Soy Flour
32
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
33
Water
34
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
35
Corn Syrup Solids
36
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
37
Semisweet Chocolate
38
Chocolate Liquor Processed With Alkali
39
Cocoa Butter
40
Milkfat
41
Soy Lecithin
42
Natural And Artificial Flavors
43
Invert Sugar
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Cut Back GRAS
44
Glycerin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
45
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
46
Preserved With Potassium Sorbate
47
Sorbic Acid & Sodium Propionate
48
Calcium Sulfate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
49
Agar
50
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
51
Natural Flavor
52
Color Added
53
Guar Gum
54
Sodium Hexametaphosphate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
55
Locust Bean Gum

Full Ingredient List

Cake Mix (Sugar, Soybean Oil, Eggs, Enriched Flour Bleached [Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Palm Oil, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Modified Corn Starch, Whey Powder, Leavening [Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate], Vital Wheat Gluten, Salt, Caramel Color, Propylene Glycol Mono And Diesters Of Fatty Acids, Mono And Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Corn Starch, Artificial Flavor, Citric Acid, Red 40, Ascorbic Acid, Soy Flour), Powdered Sugar, Water, Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup Solids, Maltodextrin, Semisweet Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor Processed With Alkali, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Natural And Artificial Flavors), Invert Sugar, Glycerin, Calcium Carbonate, Preserved With Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid & Sodium Propionate, Calcium Sulfate, Agar, Lactic Acid, Natural Flavor, Color Added, Guar Gum, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Locust Bean Gum.

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Cakes

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