Safe

Sara lee, lemon meringue creme pie

Scores 95/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 1 flagged ingredient identified.

Barcode 0032100082921 · Serving size 0.2 PIE (131 g)

The verdict

Sara lee, lemon meringue creme pie scores 95/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 49 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 1 ingredient is flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

95/100
Safe safety score
1
flagged ingredient of 49 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
E
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

What the Data Says About Sara lee, lemon meringue creme pie

Sara lee, lemon meringue creme pie carries a composite safety score of 95/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

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, Sara lee, lemon meringue creme pie 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 Sara lee, lemon meringue creme pie
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 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.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 25,915 products we've scored in the Frozen foods category, the average safety score is 93.3/100. Sara lee, lemon meringue creme pie scores 1.7 points above that category average (95/100 vs. 93.3/100), so it is roughly typical for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Water
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
4
Enriched Flour
5
Wheat Flour
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Iron
8
Thiamin Mononitrate
9
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
10
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
11
Vegetable Oil
12
Palm And Soybean Oils
13
Skim Milk
14
Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
15
Lemon Juice
16
Lemon Juice Solids
17
Lemon Juice Concentrate
18
Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Butter
19
Cream
20
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
21
Milk Protein Isolate
22
Natural And Artificial Flavors
23
Gums
24
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
25
Xanthan
26
Guar
27
Carob Bean
28
Agar
29
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
30
Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Approved
31
Sodium Citrate
32
Sodium Phosphate
33
Soy Lecithin
34
Corn Syrup Solids
35
Egg Whites
36
Baking Soda
37
Corn Starch
38
Sodium Alum
39
Cream Of Tartar
40
Corn Starch
41
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
42
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
43
Sodium Tripolyphosphate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
44
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
45
Colored With
46
Turmeric And Annatto Extracts
47
Beta Carotene
48
Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate
49
Soy Flour

Full Ingredient List

Water, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (palm and soybean oils), skim milk, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, lemon juice (water, lemon juice solids, lemon juice concentrate). contains 2% or less of each of the following: butter (cream, salt), milk protein isolate, natural and artificial flavors, gums (cellulose, xanthan, guar, carob bean, agar), polysorbate 60, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, soy lecithin, corn syrup solids, egg whites, baking soda, salt, corn starch, sodium alum, cream of tartar, modified corn starch, citric acid, gelatin, sodium tripolyphosphate, carrageenan, colored with (turmeric and annatto extracts, beta carotene), tetrasodium pyrophosphate, soy flour.

Categories

Desserts Frozen foods Frozen desserts

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.