Avoid

Chocolate Chip

by Pop tarts

Scores 5/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 5 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0038000223068 · Serving size 96g

The verdict

Chocolate Chip by Pop tarts scores 5/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 45 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 5 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

5/100
Avoid safety score
5
flagged ingredients of 45 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 Chocolate Chip

Chocolate Chip by Pop tarts carries a composite safety score of 5/100, 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. 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 5 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, Chocolate Chip 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 Chocolate Chip
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 5/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 5 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 378 products we've scored in the Sweet pies category, the average safety score is 79.2/100. Chocolate Chip scores 74.2 points below that category average (5/100 vs. 79.2/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Enriched Flour
2
Wheat Flour
3
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
4
Iron
5
Vitamin B₁
6
Thiamin Mononitrate
7
Vitamin B₂
8
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
10
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
11
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
12
Soybean Oil
13
Palm Oil
14
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Bleached Wheat Flour
16
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
17
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
18
Organic Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
19
Natural Chocolate
20
Cocoa Butter
21
Soy Lecithin
22
Vanilla Extract
23
Milk Chocolate
24
Milk
25
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
26
Molasses
27
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
28
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
29
Leavening
30
Baking Soda
31
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate
32
Natural Flavors
33
Artificial Flavors
34
Nonfat Milk
35
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
36
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
37
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
38
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
39
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
40
Datem
Emulsifier
Safe
41
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
42
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
43
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
44
Egg Whites
45
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, vitamin B₁ [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin B₂ [riboflavin], folic acid), sugar, dextrose, soybean oil, palm oil, high fructose corn syrup, bleached wheat flour, corn syrup, whey, semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate, dextrose, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), milk chocolate (sugar, milk, cocoa butter, chocolate), cocoa processed with alkali, molasses, salt, wheat starch, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate), natural flavors, artificial flavors, nonfat milk, caramel color, cornstarch, sodium stearoyl lactylate, soy lecithin, gelatin, xanthan gum, DATEM, yellow 6 lake, blue 2 lake, red 40 lake, egg whites, yellow 5 lake.

Categories

Sweet pies

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.