Granola bars

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 7 flagged ingredients

Granola bars 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 7 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
0030000319635
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 BAR (40 g)

What the Data Says About

Granola bars 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 7 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, Granola bars 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 Granola bars
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 7 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
Granola
2
Whole Grain Rolled Oats
3
Brown Sugar
4
Crisp Rice
5
Rice Flour
6
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
7
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
8
Malted Barley Extract
9
Whole Grain Rolled Wheat
10
Soybean Oil
11
Whole Wheat Flour
12
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
13
Soy Lecithin
14
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
15
Nonfat Dry Milk
16
Tocopherols
ANTIOXIDANT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
17
Preservative
18
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
19
Semisweet Chocolate Chips
20
Chocolate Liquor
21
Cocoa Butter
22
Vanilla Extract
23
Oat Cereal
24
Whole Grain Oat Flour
25
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
26
Natural Flavor
27
Molasses
28
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
29
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
30
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
31
Reduced Iron
32
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
33
Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate
34
BHT
Caution GRAS
35
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
36
Zinc Oxide
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
37
Thiamin Mononitrate
38
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
39
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
40
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
41
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
42
Pretzels
43
Enriched Flour
44
Wheat Flour
45
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
46
Malt Syrup
47
Ammonium Bicarbonate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
48
Brown Rice Crisps
49
Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour
50
Malted Barley Flour
51
Vegetable Oil
52
Palm Kernel And Palm Oil
53
Oligofructose
Sweetener
Safe
54
Corn Syrup Solids
55
Glycerin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
56
Or Less Of: Calcium Carbonate
57
Reduced Mineral Whey Powder
58
Water
59
Honey
60
Natural And Artificial Flavor
61
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
62
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
63
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Granola (whole grain rolled oats, brown sugar, crisp rice [rice flour, sugar, salt, malted barley extract], whole grain rolled wheat, soybean oil, whole wheat flour, sodium bicarbonate, soy lecithin, caramel color, nonfat dry milk, tocopherols [preservative]), corn syrup, sugar, semisweet chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), oat cereal (whole grain oat flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, sugar, maltodextrin, malted barley extract, natural flavor, molasses, salt, calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, yellow 5, sodium ascorbate, reduced iron, yellow 6, alpha tocopheryl acetate, bht [preservative], niacinamide, zinc oxide, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin a palmitate, riboflavin), pretzels (enriched flour [wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], corn syrup, salt, malt syrup, ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate), brown rice crisps (whole grain brown rice flour, sugar, malted barley flour, salt), vegetable oil (palm kernel and palm oil), oligofructose, corn syrup solids, soybean oil, glycerin. contains 2% or less of: calcium carbonate, reduced mineral whey powder, water, honey, natural and artificial flavor, salt, soy lecithin, nonfat dry milk, yellow 6 lake, yellow 5 lake, bht (preservative), tocopherols (preservative), blue 2 lake, caramel color.

Categories

Snacks

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