Taffy cupcake

75
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Taffy cupcake receives a safety score of 75/100 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
0041144850069
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

Taffy cupcake carries a composite safety score of 75/100, 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, Taffy cupcake 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Taffy cupcake
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 75/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Cupcake: Sugar
2
Bleached Wheat Flour
3
Eggs
4
Nonfat Milk
5
Soybean Oil
6
Egg Whites
7
Food Starch - Modified
8
Natural And Artificial Flavors
9
Distilled Monoglycerides
10
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
11
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
12
Propylene Glycol Monoester
13
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
14
Lecithin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
15
Polyglycerol Ester Of Fatty Acids
16
Canthan Bum
17
Guar Gum. Icing: Sugar
18
Shortening
19
Palm Oil
20
Canola Oil
21
Mono & Diglycerides
22
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
23
Water
24
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
25
Color Added
26
Incl. Red 40 Lake
27
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
28
Corn Starch
29
Guar Gum
30
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
31
Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Approved
32
Natural And Artificial Flavor
33
Phosphoric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
Cut Back GRAS
34
Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Bonzoate
35
Preservatives
36
Propylene Glycol Mono & Diesters Of Fats And Fatty Acids
37
Tartaric acid
Preservative
Safe

Full Ingredient List

Cupcake: sugar, bleached wheat flour, eggs, nonfat milk, soybean oil, egg whites, food starch - modified, natural and artificial flavors, distilled monoglycerides, salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate, propylene glycol monoester, sodium bicarbonate, lecithin, polyglycerol ester of fatty acids, canthan bum, guar gum. icing: sugar, shortening (palm oil, canola oil, mono & diglycerides, polysorbate 60, water, corn syrup. contains less than 2% of: color added (incl. red 40 lake, yellow 6), corn starch, guar gum, high fructose corn syrup, lactylic esters of fatty acids, natural and artificial flavor, phosphoric acid, potassium sorbate and sodium bonzoate (preservatives), propylene glycol mono & diesters of fats and fatty acids, salt, tartaric acid.

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Cakes

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