English muffins

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

English muffins receives a safety score of 85/100 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
0021333001304
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
2 ONZ (57 g)

What the Data Says About

English muffins carries a composite safety score of 85/100, 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 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, English muffins 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 English muffins
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 85/100 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
Enriched Flour Bleached
2
Wheat Flour
3
Malted Barley Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
6
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Water
10
Yeast
11
Degerminated Yellow Corn Meal
12
Each Of The Following: Dextrose
13
Baking Powder
14
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
15
Baking Soda
16
Corn Starch
17
Monocalcium Phosphate
18
Potato Flour
19
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
20
Vinegar
21
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
22
Nonfat Milk
23
Calcium Propionate Preservative
24
Fumaric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe Approved
25
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
26
Soybean Oil
27
Monoglycerides
28
Potassium Sorbate Preservative
29
Mineral Oil
30
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
31
Propionic Acid Preservative
32
Phosphoric Acid Preservative
33
Ammonium Chloride
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
34
Ascorbic Acid Added As A Dough Conditioner
35
Azodicarbonamide
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT
Avoid Approved
36
Tocopherols Preservative

Full Ingredient List

Enriched flour bleached (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, yeast, degerminated yellow corn meal, contains less than 2% of each of the following: dextrose, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate), potato flour, salt, vinegar, wheat gluten, nonfat milk, calcium propionate preservative, fumaric acid, calcium sulfate, soybean oil, monoglycerides, potassium sorbate preservative, mineral oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, propionic acid preservative, phosphoric acid preservative, ammonium chloride, ascorbic acid added as a dough conditioner, azodicarbonamide, tocopherols preservative.

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Cereals and potatoes Breads

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