Cosmic cupcakes

by Little Debbie

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 8 flagged ingredients

Cosmic cupcakes by Little Debbie receives a safety score of 0/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 8 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
0024300044465
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 CUPCAKE (51 g)

What the Data Says About

Cosmic cupcakes 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.

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, Cosmic cupcakes 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 Cosmic cupcakes
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
Water
3
Enriched Bleached Flour
4
Wheat Flour
5
Barley Malt
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Reduced Iron
8
Thiamin Mononitrate
9
Vitamin B1
10
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
11
Vitamin B2
12
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
13
Soybean Oil
14
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
15
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
16
Eggs
17
Sorbitol
Sweetener
Cut Back
18
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
19
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean And Cottonseed Oil With Tbhq To Preserve Flavor
20
Invert Sugar
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Cut Back GRAS
21
Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Soy Flour
22
Cosmic Candy Pieces
23
Organic Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
24
Natural Chocolate
25
Cocoa Butter
26
Soy Lecithin
27
Vanilla
28
Corn Starch
29
Titanium Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TRACER
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
30
Confectioner's Glaze
31
Carnauba Wax
32
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
33
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
34
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
35
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
36
Red 3
Avoid Banned (FDA revoked Jan 2025)
37
Milk
38
Palm Oil
39
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
40
Corn Starch
41
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
42
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
43
Natural And Artificial Flavors
44
Emulsifiers
45
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
46
Mono - And Diglycerides
47
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
48
Propylene Glycol Monostearate
49
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
50
Leavening
51
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
52
Baking Soda
53
Calcium Phosphate
54
Colors
55
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
56
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
57
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
58
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
59
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
60
Agar
61
Locust Bean Gum
62
Sodium Hexametaphosphate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
63
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
64
Calcium Lactate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
65
Guar Gum
66
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
67
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
68
To Retain Freshness
69
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

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, water, enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, barley malt, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate [vitamin b1], riboflavin [vitamin b2], folic acid), soybean oil, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, eggs, sorbitol, cocoa processed with alkali, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil with tbhq to preserve flavor, invert sugar. contains 2% or less of each of the following: soy flour, cosmic candy pieces (semi-sweet chocolate chips [sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla], sugar, corn starch, titanium dioxide, confectioner's glaze, carnauba wax, yellow 5 lake, blue 2 lake, yellow 6 lake, blue 1 lake, red 3, milk), palm oil, corn starch, maltodextrin, modified corn starch, salt, chocolate, whey (milk), natural and artificial flavors, emulsifiers (sorbitan monostearate, mono - and diglycerides, polysorbate 60, propylene glycol monostearate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, soy lecithin), leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, calcium phosphate), colors (caramel color, titanium dioxide, red 40), dextrose, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, agar, locust bean gum, sodium hexametaphosphate, lactic acid, calcium lactate, guar gum, xanthan gum, sorbic acid (to retain freshness), citric acid.

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