Caution

Instant Oatmeal Strawberries & Cream

by bowl & basket

Scores 75/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 1 flagged ingredient identified.

Barcode 0041190093175

The verdict

Instant Oatmeal Strawberries & Cream by bowl & basket scores 75/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 34 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 1 ingredient is flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

75/100
Caution safety score
1
flagged ingredient of 34 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0041190093175
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

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 Instant Oatmeal Strawberries & Cream

Instant Oatmeal Strawberries & Cream by bowl & basket 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. 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 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, Instant Oatmeal Strawberries & Cream 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 Instant Oatmeal Strawberries & Cream
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.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 93,264 products we've scored in the Plant-based foods and beverages category, the average safety score is 98.1/100. Instant Oatmeal Strawberries & Cream scores 23.1 points below that category average (75/100 vs. 98.1/100), 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
Whole Grain Rolled Oats
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Flavored And Colored Fruit Pieces
4
Apples
5
Artificial Flavor
6
Citric Acid And Sodium Sulfite To Preserve Color
7
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
8
Creamer
9
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
10
Vegetable Oil
11
Organic Coconut
12
Palm
13
Palm Kernel
14
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
15
Sodium Caseinate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
16
A Milk Derivative
17
Dipotassium Phosphate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
18
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
19
A Source Of Calcium
20
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
21
Ferric Orthophosphate
22
A Source Of Iron
23
Guar Gum
24
Natural And Artificial Flavors
25
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS
26
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
27
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
28
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
29
Vitamin B6
30
Thia Thiamin Mononitrate
31
Vitamin B1
32
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
33
Vitamin B2
34
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved

Full Ingredient List

WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, SUGAR, FLAVORED AND COLORED FRUIT PIECES (DRIED APPLES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID AND SODIUM SULFITE TO PRESERVE COLOR, RED 40), CREAMER (MALTODEXTRIN, VEGETABLE OIL [COCONUT AND/OR PALM AND/OR PALM KERNEL), WHEY, SODIUM CASEINATE [A MILK DERIVATIVE), DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CALCIUM CARBONATE (A SOURCE OF CALCIUM), SALT, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE (A SOURCE OF IRON), GUAR GUM, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIA THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Breakfasts Cereals and potatoes Cereals and their products Breakfast cereals Flakes Cereal flakes Rolled flakes Rolled oats

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.