Concern

OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate

by H-E-B

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0041220524976 · H-E-B · Beverages and beverages preparations. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0041220524976 · Serving size 325mL

The verdict

OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate by H-E-B scores 65/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 47 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 3 ingredients are flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 47-component record, beginning with Fat Free Milk, Water, Canola Oil. That density can include amounts and label fragments, so verify the physical label before relying on ingredient order or completeness. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination.

65/100
Concern safety score
3
Few flagged · of 47 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
C
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.

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

50/100

Grade C-

Ingredient Safety

65/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

C

Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition grade

Weighted 50% ingredient safety / 25% processing level / 25% nutrition grade. A dimension with no data for this product (common: source coverage is partial) is dropped and its weight redistributes across the remaining dimensions, so missing data never silently lowers the score. See the full benchmark table.

20524976 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate label screening desk

SCORE-CONC 65/100 FLAG-FEW 3 flagged LEN-DENSE 47 ing. REG-PART 32% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-C Nutri-C RANK-SHORT Len top 1% LEAD-FLAG Fructose PHOTO-FINISH Cola Drink · ±0 BOOK-OFF …524976 · July 2026

15 of 47 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Fructose). Source sheet 20524976 · Open Food Facts · July 2026. The screening score and flag counts are in the verdict band above. This desk is the provenance stamp, not a second scorecard. Methodology · Read with nearest score peer: Cola Drink · Nearest score peer is Cola Drink at the same screening score.

Screening model notes

How Nutri-Score, NOVA, and list length read this record

This label lands in the third of four positions on the published scale. What separates that position from its neighbours is arithmetic rather than judgement: identical inputs run through the documented weighting always arrive at the same place. Anyone who works the calculation through by hand, using the methodology write-up together with the itemised ratings further down, will reproduce this number exactly — which is the reason for publishing a computed figure instead of an opinion.

Nutri-Score settled on its middle grade here, the band the algorithm produces when the penalty and credit sides of its nutrient ledger come out close to balanced. A mid-scale grade is a statement about the panel as a whole rather than about any single nutrient, and products arrive at it by very different routes: a moderate profile across every term, or high marks on some offset by heavy penalties on others. The grade is computed separately from the ingredient screen below and the two are not comparable measures.

The declared list is among the longer ones in this catalogue. A component set this wide means the screen returns many individual ratings, and the composite accumulates a large number of small contributions instead of turning on a handful of entries. At this length the per-component table below is substantially more informative than the single figure, because the figure compresses a great deal of variation into one number.

Cross-brand screening score neighbourhood

1. OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate: 65/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Ch…65/1002. Cola Drink: 65/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. Cola Drink65/1003. Maple sausage links, maple: 65/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. Maple sausage links, maple65/1004. Ginger Ale: 65/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Ginger Ale65/1005. Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer: 65/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer65/100
Nearest cross-brand screening scores for OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate (65/100 on 47 parsed ingredients).
Chart values as text

Unit: PlainFoodSafe screening score out of 100. Data current as of July 2026.

OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate
65/100
Cola Drink
65/100
Maple sausage links, maple
65/100
Ginger Ale
65/100
Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer
65/100

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 32,623 products we've scored in the Beverages category, the average safety score is 90.5/100. OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate scores 25.5 points below that category average (65/100 vs. 90.5/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient-list length vs other Beverages and beverages preparations products

OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate lists 47 ingredients on its label

47 99th percentile a longer ingredient list than 99% of the 4,874 products we track

0–2: 103 products (2%). Below this entry. 2–4: 484 products (10%). Below this entry. 4–6: 475 products (10%). Below this entry. 6–8: 550 products (11%). Below this entry. 8–10: 619 products (13%). Below this entry. 10–12: 595 products (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 493 products (10%). Below this entry. 14–16: 381 products (8%). Below this entry. 16–18: 272 products (6%). Below this entry. 18–20: 193 products (4%). Below this entry. 20–22: 187 products (4%). Below this entry. 22–24: 134 products (3%). Below this entry. 24–26: 95 products (2%). Below this entry. 26–28: 69 products (1%). Below this entry. 28–30: 56 products (1%). Below this entry. 30–32: 38 products (1%). Below this entry. 32–34: 16 products (0%). Below this entry. 34–36: 22 products (0%). Below this entry. 36–38: 5 products (0%). Below this entry. 38–40: 7 products (0%). Below this entry. 40–42: 80 products (2%). This entry sits in this band. This product 0 42 every published Beverages and beverages preparations product, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Distribution as text

4,874 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 47 (99th percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
103 products (2%)
2–4
484 products (10%)
4–6
475 products (10%)
6–8
550 products (11%)
8–10
619 products (13%)
10–12
595 products (12%)
12–14
493 products (10%)
14–16
381 products (8%)
16–18
272 products (6%)
18–20
193 products (4%)
20–22
187 products (4%)
22–24
134 products (3%)
24–26
95 products (2%)
26–28
69 products (1%)
28–30
56 products (1%)
30–32
38 products (1%)
32–34
16 products (0%)
34–36
22 products (0%)
36–38
5 products (0%)
38–40
7 products (0%)
40 and above
80 products (2%)

Source Open Food Facts, product label ingredient lists · July 2026

Ingredient-list length is a descriptive property of the label, not a safety rating. A longer list is not automatically worse and a shorter one is not automatically better; the count is shown so the label can be placed against a comparable population. The comparison here runs against the 4,874 Beverages and beverages preparations products we publish with a parsed label, not against the whole catalogue, because list length varies far more between categories than within one.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

How the 65/100 score is built

Screening starts at 100 and subtracts severity-weighted FDA SAFFA / CSPI flags (3 flagged of 47 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Fat Free Milk
2
Water
3
Canola Oil
4
Fructose
Sweetener
Cut Back
5
Organic Cocoa
6
Cellulose Gel
7
Cellulose Gum
8
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
9
Natural And Artificial Flavors
10
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
11
Acesulfame Potassium
NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
12
Sucralose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
13
Vitamin And Mineral Blend
14
Potassium Phosphate
15
Sodium Phosphate
16
Potassium Hydroxide
FORMULATION AID, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, WASHING OR SURFACE REMOVAL AGENT
GRAS
17
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
18
Vitamin C
19
Magnesium Phosphate
20
Calcium Phosphate
21
Dl-alpha-tocopheryl Acetate
22
Vitamin E
23
Retinyl Palmitate
24
Vitamin A
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
25
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
26
Vitamin B3
27
Ferric Orthophosphate
28
Zinc Gluconate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
29
Sodium Molybdate
30
D-calcium Pantothenate
31
Pantothenic Acid
32
Manganese Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
33
Thiamine Hydrocholoride
34
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
35
Vitamin B2
36
Sodium Selenite
37
Phytonadione
38
Vitamin K
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
39
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
40
Vitamin B6
41
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
42
Chromium Cyanocobalamin
43
Vitamin B12
44
Cholecalciferol
45
Vitamin D3
46
Milk
47
Soy

Full Ingredient List

Fat free milk, water, canola oil, fructose, cocoa (processed with alkali), cellulose gel, cellulose gum, lecithin, natural and artificial flavors, carrageenan, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, vitamin and mineral blend (potassium phosphate, sodium phosphate, potassium hydroxide, sodium ascorbate [vitamin C], magnesium phosphate, calcium phosphate, DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate [vitamin E], retinyl palmitate [vitamin A], niacinamide [vitamin B3], ferric orthophosphate, zinc gluconate, sodium molybdate, D-calcium pantothenate [pantothenic acid], manganese sulfate, thiamine hydrocholoride, riboflavin [vitamin B2], sodium selenite, phytonadione [vitamin K], pyridoxine hydrochloride [vitamin B6], folic acid, chromium cyanocobalamin [vitamin B12], cholecalciferol [vitamin D3]. Contains: milk, soy.

Categories

Beverages and beverages preparations Beverages Milsubstitutes

Mid-score cross-brand comparables for OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate

Neighbours outside H-E-B near OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate's mid-band score (65/100). The 5 same-brand links above stay within H-E-B; these peers cross brands.

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Fructose is the first flagged ingredient selected from OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 47-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Fructose. Open Fructose
  • Compare OPTIMEAL Protein Shake Chocolate's 3 flagged ingredients with a product from the same score neighbourhood. Compare labels
  • Check how caution flags contribute to the derived screening score before drawing a dietary conclusion. Read the method

This page describes published ingredient-list and source coverage. It is not dietary or medical advice.

Barcode 0041220524976: product data from Open Food Facts (July 2026). Screening from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine where attached. Figures are computed from those sources, not editor-typed. Methodology. Reference only, not dietary or medical advice.