Kellogg'S Special K Cereal Bars Red Berries .88Oz

by Kellogg's

35
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Kellogg'S Special K Cereal Bars Red Berries .88Oz by Kellogg's receives a safety score of 35/100 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
0038000124211
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 Bar (25 g)

What the Data Says About

Kellogg'S Special K Cereal Bars Red Berries .88Oz by Kellogg's carries a composite safety score of 35/100, 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 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, Kellogg'S Special K Cereal Bars Red Berries .88Oz 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 D 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 Kellogg'S Special K Cereal Bars Red Berries .88Oz
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 35/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score D OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Organic Rolled Oats
2
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
3
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
4
Rice Flour
5
Fructose
Sweetener
Cut Back
6
Palm Oil
7
Dried Cranberries
8
Or Less Of Apples
9
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
10
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
11
Organic Coconut
12
Natural And Artificial Strawberry Flavor
13
Sorbitol
Sweetener
Cut Back
14
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
Molasses
16
Soy Lecithin
17
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
18
Malt Extract
19
Elderberry Juice Concentrate
20
Mixed Tocopherols For Freshness
21
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
22
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
23
BHT
Caution GRAS
24
Preservative
25
Nonfat Milk
26
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
27
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Rolled oats, corn syrup, sugar, rice flour, fructose, palm oil, cranberries, contains 2% or less of apples, dextrose, glycerin, coconut, natural and artificial strawberry flavor, sorbitol, salt, molasses, soy lecithin, citric acid, malt extract, elderberry juice concentrate, mixed tocopherols for freshness, malic acid, red 40, bht (preservative), nonfat milk, wheat starch, blue 1.

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Bars Cereal bars

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