Milk chocolate granola bars

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 10 flagged ingredients

Milk chocolate granola bars receives a safety score of 0/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 10 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
0040000133858
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 BAR (24 g)

What the Data Says About

Milk chocolate granola bars carries a composite safety score of 0/100, 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 10 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, Milk chocolate granola bars 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 Milk chocolate granola bars
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 10 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
Granola
2
Crisp Rice
3
Oats
4
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
5
Wheat Flakes
6
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
7
Barley Malt
8
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
9
Milk Chocolate
10
Natural Chocolate
11
Cocoa Butter
12
Skim Milk
13
Lactose
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
14
Milkfat
15
Soy Lecithin
16
M&m's Brand Minis Milk Chocolate Candies
17
Artificial Flavors
18
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
19
Coloring
20
Includes Yellow 5 Lake
21
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
22
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
23
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
24
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
25
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
26
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
27
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
28
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
29
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
30
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
31
Vegetable Oil
32
Palm Kernel Oil
33
Palm Oil
34
Palm Oil
35
Calcium Carbonate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
36
Fructose
Sweetener
Cut Back
37
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
38
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
39
Less Than 2% - Salt
40
Cocoa Powder
41
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
42
Brown Sugar
43
Gum Acacia
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
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
46
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
47
Artificial And Natural Flavors
48
Tbhq To Maintain Freshness
49
Peanuts
50
Almonds

Full Ingredient List

Granola (crisp rice, oats, sugar, wheat flakes, salt, barley malt), corn syrup, milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, skim milk, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin), m&m's brand minis milk chocolate candies (milk chocolate [sugar, chocolate, skim milk, cocoa butter, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, salt, artificial flavors], sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup, coloring [includes yellow 5 lake, red 40 lake, blue 1 lake, yellow 6 lake, blue 2 lake, yellow 5, red 40, blue 1, yellow 6, blue 2], dextrin), vegetable oil (palm kernel oil, palm oil and/or hydrogenated palm oil), calcium carbonate, fructose, glycerin, maltodextrin, less than 2% - salt, cocoa powder, whey, brown sugar, soy lecithin, gum acacia, carrageenan, xanthan gum, hydrolyzed wheat protein, artificial and natural flavors, tbhq to maintain freshness, peanuts, almonds.

Categories

Snacks

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