Kellogg'S Special K Cereal Bars Salted Pretzel Chocolate .88Oz

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Kellogg'S Special K Cereal Bars Salted Pretzel Chocolate .88Oz 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
0038000124266
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 Bar (25 g)

What the Data Says About

Kellogg'S Special K Cereal Bars Salted Pretzel Chocolate .88Oz 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, Kellogg'S Special K Cereal Bars Salted Pretzel Chocolate .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 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 Kellogg'S Special K Cereal Bars Salted Pretzel Chocolate .88Oz
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 E 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
Pretzel Pieces
4
Enriched Wheat Flour
5
Flour
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Reduced Iron
8
Vitamin B1
9
Thiamin Mononitrate
10
Vitamin B2
11
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
12
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
13
Dextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Safe GRAS
14
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
Canola Oil
16
Malt Syrup
17
Rice Flour
18
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
19
Fructose
Sweetener
Cut Back
20
Palm Kernel And Palm Oil
21
Or Less Of Chocolate
22
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
23
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
24
Sorbitol
Sweetener
Cut Back
25
Cocoa Powder
26
Organic Cocoa
27
Natural And Artificial Flavor
28
Molasses
29
Soy Lecithin
30
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
31
Malt Extract
32
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
33
Mixed Tocopherols For Freshness
34
BHT
Caution GRAS
35
Preservative
36
Nonfat Milk
37
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS

Full Ingredient List

Rolled oats, corn syrup, pretzel pieces (enriched wheat flour [flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin b1 (thiamin mononitrate), vitamin b2 (riboflavin), folic acid], dextrin, salt, canola oil, malt syrup), rice flour, sugar, fructose, palm kernel and palm oil, contains 2% or less of chocolate, dextrose, glycerin, sorbitol, cocoa powder, cocoa (processed with alkali), natural and artificial flavor, salt, molasses, soy lecithin, sea salt, malt extract, whey, mixed tocopherols for freshness, bht (preservative), nonfat milk, wheat starch.

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