French Cheese Cake

by Sara Lee

65
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

French Cheese Cake by Sara Lee receives a safety score of 65/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 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
0032100037228
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 slice (82 g)

What the Data Says About

French Cheese Cake by Sara Lee carries a composite safety score of 65/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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 3 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, French Cheese Cake 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 French Cheese Cake
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 65/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 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
Water
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Strawberries
4
Vegetable Oil
5
Palm Oil And Soybean Oils
6
Milk
7
Enriched Flour
8
Wheat Flour
9
Malted Barley Flour
10
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
11
Iron
12
Thiamin Mononitrate
13
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
14
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
15
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
16
Skim Milk
17
Neufchatel Cheese
18
Pasteurized Milk And Cream
19
Cheese Culture
20
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
21
Stabilizers
22
Xanthan
23
Carob Bean
24
Guar Gums
25
. Heavy Whipping Cream
26
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
27
Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Cream Cheese
28
Carob Bean Gum
29
Milk Protein Concentrate
30
Cream
31
Oats
32
Gelatin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
33
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
34
Lactose
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
35
Molasses
36
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
37
Baking Soda
38
Propylene Glycol Mono - And Diesters Of Fats And Fatty Acids
39
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
40
Mono - And Diglycerides
41
Colored With
42
B-apo-8-carotenal
43
Turmeric And Annatto Extract
44
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
45
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
46
Gums
47
Guar
48
Natural And Artificial Flavors
49
Propylene Glycol Alginate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Approved
50
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
51
Cinnamon
52
Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Approved
53
Glucose Syrup
54
Soy Lecithin
55
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
56
Modified Tapioca And Corn Starch
57
Potassium Chloride
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
58
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
59
Preservative
60
Soy Flour

Full Ingredient List

Water, sugar, strawberries, vegetable oil (palm oil and soybean oils), milk, enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), whey, skim milk, neufchatel cheese [pasteurized milk and cream, cheese culture, salt, stabilizers (xanthan and/or carob bean and/or guar gums)]. heavy whipping cream, corn syrup. contains 2% or less of each of the following: cream cheese (pasteurized milk and cream, cheese culture, salt, carob bean gum), milk protein concentrate, cream, oats, gelatin, maltodextrin, salt, lactose, molasses, citric acid, baking soda, cheese culture, propylene glycol mono - and diesters of fats and fatty acids, lactic acid, mono - and diglycerides, citric acid, colored with (b-apo-8-carotenal, turmeric and annatto extract, red 40, caramel color), gums (carob bean, xanthan, guar), natural and artificial flavors, propylene glycol alginate, wheat starch, cinnamon, lactylic esters of fatty acids, glucose syrup, soy lecithin, carrageenan, modified tapioca and corn starch, potassium chloride, potassium sorbate (preservative), soy flour.

Categories

Desserts Frozen foods Frozen desserts

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