Avoid

Fall Tree Cakes

by Little Debbie

Scores 0/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 8 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0024300044267 · Serving size 42g

The verdict

Fall Tree Cakes by Little Debbie scores 0/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 60 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 8 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.

0/100
Avoid safety score
8
flagged ingredients of 60 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 Fall Tree Cakes

Fall Tree Cakes by Little Debbie carries a composite safety score of 0/100, 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 8 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, Fall Tree 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 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 Fall Tree Cakes
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 8 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
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
2
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
3
Enriched Bleached Flour
4
Wheat Flour
5
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Reduced Iron
7
Thiamin Mononitrate
8
Vitamin B1
9
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
10
Vitamin B2
11
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
12
Water
13
Palm And Palm Kernel Oil
14
Vegetable Shortening
15
Soybean And Cottonseed Oil
16
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean And Cottonseed Oil
17
Soybean Oil
18
Canola Oil
19
Palm Oil
20
With Tbhq And Citric Acid To Preserve Freshness
21
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
22
Organic Cocoa
23
Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Soy Flour
24
Toppers
25
Rice Flour
26
Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed
27
Soybean Oils
28
Corn Starch
29
Gum Arabic
30
Cellulose Gum
31
Confectioner's Glaze
32
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
33
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
34
Soy Lecithin
35
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
36
Red 3
Avoid Banned (FDA revoked Jan 2025)
37
Artificial Flavor
38
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
39
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
40
Egg Whites
41
Whey
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FORMULATION AID, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
42
Milk
43
Leavening
44
Baking Soda
45
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate
46
Emulsifiers
47
Sorbitan Monostearate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Safe Approved
48
Mono - And Diglycerides
49
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
50
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
51
Colors
52
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
53
Turmeric
54
Annatto Extract
55
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
56
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
57
To Retain Freshness
58
Natural And Artificial Flavors
59
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
60
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS

Full Ingredient List

SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WATER, PALM AND PALM KERNEL OIL, VEGETABLE SHORTENING (HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND COTTONSEED OIL, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND COTTONSEED OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, CANOLA OIL AND/OR PALM OIL, WITH TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), DEXTROSE, COCOA, SOYBEAN OIL. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SOY FLOUR, TOPPERS (SUGAR, RICE FLOUR, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED AND/OR SOYBEAN OILS, PALM AND PALM KERNEL OIL, CORN STARCH, GUM ARABIC, CELLULOSE GUM, CONFECTIONER'S GLAZE, CARRAGEENAN, RED 40, SOY LECITHIN, YELLOW 6, RED 3, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, YELLOW 5, BLUE 1), EGG WHITES, WHEY (MILK), LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE), EMULSIFIERS (SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, SOY LECITHIN, MONO - AND DIGLYCERIDES, POLYSORBATE 60, POLYSORBATE 80), COLORS (CARAMEL COLOR, TURMERIC, RED 40, ANNATTO EXTRACT), SALT, CORN STARCH, SORBIC ACID (TO RETAIN FRESHNESS), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, POTATO STARCH.

Categories

Undefined

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.