Chocolate caramel naturally & artificially flavored protein meal bar, chocolate caramel
Contains 5 flagged ingredients
Chocolate caramel naturally & artificially flavored protein meal bar, chocolate caramel receives a safety score of 25/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 5 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.
What the Data Says About
Chocolate caramel naturally & artificially flavored protein meal bar, chocolate caramel carries a composite safety score of 25/100, 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 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 caramel naturally & artificially flavored protein meal bar, chocolate caramel 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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 25/100 | 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.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Soy protein isolate, coating (sugar, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, cocoa processed with alkali, whey, nonfat milk, salt, sorbitan monostearate, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, polysorbate 60), corn syrup, caramel flavored chips (sugar, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, nonfat milk, dextrose, yellow 5 lake, yellow 6 lake, blue 2 lake, soy lecithin, salt, natural and artificial flavor), sugar, inulin from chicory root, rice starch, polydextrose, fructose, rice cereal (rice, wheat gluten, sugar, defatted wheat germ, salt, whey, malt flavoring, calcium caseinate, vitamin c [ascorbic acid], reduced iron, vitamin e [alpha tocopherol acetate], vitamin b6 [pyridoxine hydrochloride], vitamin b1 [thiamin hydrochloride], folic acid, vitamin b2 [riboflavin], niacinamide, vitamin b12), dextrose, contains 2% or less of calcium carbonate, soybean and palm oil (with tbhq for freshness), molasses, glycerin, sorbitol, natural and artificial flavor, caramel color, salt, soy lecithin, vitamin c (ascorbic acid), polysorbate 80, vitamin e (d-alpha tocopherol), xanthan gum, niacinamide, zinc oxide, reduced iron, vitamin b6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin a palmitate, bht for freshness, vitamin b2 (riboflavin), vitamin b1 (thiamin hydrochloride), almond flour, partially defatted peanut flour, wheat starch, vitamin b12, folic acid, vitamin d.
Categories
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.
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