Caramel apple oatmeal creme pies sandwich cookies, caramel apple

by Little Debbie, Mckee Foods Corporation

20
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

Caramel apple oatmeal creme pies sandwich cookies, caramel apple by Little Debbie, Mckee Foods Corporation receives a safety score of 20/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 4 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
0024300044953
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 COOKIE (35 g)

What the Data Says About

Caramel apple oatmeal creme pies sandwich cookies, caramel apple by Little Debbie, Mckee Foods Corporation carries a composite safety score of 20/100, 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 4 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, Caramel apple oatmeal creme pies sandwich cookies, caramel apple 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 Caramel apple oatmeal creme pies sandwich cookies, caramel apple
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 20/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 4 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
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
2
Enriched Bleached Flour
3
Wheat Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Reduced Iron
6
Thiamin Mononitrate
7
Vitamin B1
8
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Vitamin B2
10
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
11
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
12
Water
13
Palm And Soybean Oils With Tbhq And Citric Acid To Protect Flavor
14
Whole Grain Rolled Oats
15
Apples
16
Molasses
17
Organic Raisin Paste
18
Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Soy Flour
19
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
20
Leavening
21
Baking Soda
22
Ammonium Bicarbonate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
23
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
24
Milk
25
Soy Lecithin
26
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
27
Natural And Artificial Flavors
28
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
29
Corn Starch
30
Cinnamon
31
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
32
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
33
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
34
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
35
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
36
To Preserve Freshness
37
Eggs
38
Mono - And Diglycerides
39
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
40
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
41
Corn Starch
42
Egg Whites

Full Ingredient List

Corn syrup, enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate [vitamin b1], riboflavin [vitamin b2], folic acid), sugar, water, palm and soybean oils with tbhq and citric acid to protect flavor, whole grain rolled oats, dried apples, molasses, raisin paste. contains 2% or less of each of the following: soy flour, dextrose, leavening (baking soda, ammonium bicarbonate), whey (milk), soy lecithin, salt, natural and artificial flavors, caramel color, corn starch, cinnamon, malic acid, yellow 5, red 40, blue 1, sorbic acid (to preserve freshness), eggs, mono - and diglycerides, sorbitan monostearate, polysorbate 60, modified corn starch, egg whites.

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Biscuits

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