Quaker Select Starts Low Sugar Instant Oatmeal (4-1.23 Oz Strawberries & Cream, 6-1.23 Oz Peaches & Cream) 12.3 Ounce 10 count Box

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Quaker Select Starts Low Sugar Instant Oatmeal (4-1.23 Oz Strawberries & Cream, 6-1.23 Oz Peaches & Cream) 12.3 Ounce 10 count Box 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
0030000268056
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 packet (35 g)

What the Data Says About

Quaker Select Starts Low Sugar Instant Oatmeal (4-1.23 Oz Strawberries & Cream, 6-1.23 Oz Peaches & Cream) 12.3 Ounce 10 count Box 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, Quaker Select Starts Low Sugar Instant Oatmeal (4-1.23 Oz Strawberries & Cream, 6-1.23 Oz Peaches & Cream) 12.3 Ounce 10 count Box 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Quaker Select Starts Low Sugar Instant Oatmeal (4-1.23 Oz Strawberries & Cream, 6-1.23 Oz Peaches & Cream) 12.3 Ounce 10 count Box
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 Not available OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Whole Grain Rolled Oats
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Flavored And Colored Fruit Pieces
4
Apples
5
Treated With Sodium Sulfite To Promote Color Retention
6
Artificial Peach Flavor
7
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
8
Annatto Color
9
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
10
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
11
Sunflower Oil
12
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
13
Palm Oil
14
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
15
Artificial Flavor
16
Guar Gum
17
Sodium Caseinate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
18
Sucralose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
19
Niacinamide*
20
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
21
Tricalcium Phosphate
22
Reduced Iron
23
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride*
24
Riboflavin*
25
Thiamin Mononitrate*
26
Folic Acid*. *One Of The B Vitamins

Full Ingredient List

Whole grain rolled oats, sugar, flavored and colored fruit pieces (dehydrated apples [treated with sodium sulfite to promote color retention], artificial peach flavor, citric acid, annatto color), maltodextrin, salt, sunflower oil, calcium carbonate, palm oil, whey, artificial flavor, guar gum, sodium caseinate, citric acid, sucralose, niacinamide*, vitamin a palmitate, tricalcium phosphate, reduced iron, pyridoxine hydrochloride*, riboflavin*, thiamin mononitrate*, folic acid*. *one of the b vitamins

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