Crab Cakes
Contains 2 flagged ingredients
Crab Cakes by Van De Kamp's receives a safety score of 90/100 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.
What the Data Says About
Crab Cakes by Van De Kamp's carries a composite safety score of 90/100, 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 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, Crab Cakes 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 A 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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 90/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 2 | CSPI/FDA review |
| NOVA processing group | Group 4 | OpenFoodFacts |
| Nutri-Score | A | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
CRAB MEAT, IMITATION CRAB MEAT (POLLOCK, COD AND/OR PACIFIC WHITING, WATER, WHEAT STARCH, POTATO STARCH, SUGAR, TAPIOCA STARCH, SNOW CRAB MEAT, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS [SOY], SORBITOL, EGG WHITES, CARRAGEENAN, POTASSIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, COLOR ADDED, TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE, SALT, CARMINE, PAPRIKA OLEORESIN, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SOY LECITHIN), POLLOCK, BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, CELERY, CREAM CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CREAM, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, STABILIZERS [CAROB BEAN AND/OR XANTHAN, GUAR GUMS]), ONIONS, RED PEPPERS, GREEN PEPPERS, WATER, WHEAT FLOUR, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SOYBEAN OIL, NONFAT DRY MILK, DISTILLED VINEGAR, SALT, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CANE JUICE MOLASSES, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, XANTHAN GUM, MUSTARD SEED, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, LEAVENING (SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE), CITRIC ACID, HYDROLYZED SOY AND CORN PROTEINS, GUAR GUM, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, SODIUM INOSINATE, DRIED YEAST, TURMERIC, GARLIC SALT, SPICES, GARLIC POWDER, ONION POWDER, BLACK AND CAYENNE PEPPER, ANCHOVIES, CARAMEL COLOR, NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (AS PRESERVATIVES).
Categories
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.
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