Milk & Dark Chocolate Caramel & Nut Mix

by Brach's

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Milk & Dark Chocolate Caramel & Nut Mix by Brach's receives a safety score of 85/100 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
0041420051456
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
43g

What the Data Says About

Milk & Dark Chocolate Caramel & Nut Mix by Brach's carries a composite safety score of 85/100, 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, Milk & Dark Chocolate Caramel & Nut Mix 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 & Dark Chocolate Caramel & Nut Mix
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 85/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 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
Milk Chocolate
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Cocoa Butter
4
Whole Milk Powder
5
Milk
6
Chocolate Liquor
7
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
8
Soy Lecithin
9
An Emulsifier
10
Milk Fat
11
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
12
Vanilla
13
Artificial Flavor
14
Sweet Chocolate
15
Roasted Peanuts
16
Peanuts
17
Cottonseed
18
Peanut Oil
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
19
TBHQ
Preservative
Avoid Approved (preservative, 21 CFR 172.185)
20
A Preservative
21
Almonds
22
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
23
Sweetened Condensed Milk
24
Skim Milk
25
Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils
26
The Following: Palm Kernel
27
Soybean
28
Organic Coconut
29
Or Palm Oil
30
Modified Food Starch
31
Corn
32
Evaporated Milk
33
Acacia
34
Gum Arabic
35
Artificial Flavors
36
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
37
Confectioner's Glaze
38
Shellac
39
Coconut Oil
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Listed
40
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

Full Ingredient List

MILK CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, COCOA BUTTER, WHOLE MILK POWDER, MILK, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, LACTOSE, SOY LECITHIN [AN EMULSIFIER], MILK FAT, SALT, VANILLA, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), SWEET CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOA BUTTER, SOY LECITHIN [AN EMULSIFIER], VANILLA), ROASTED PEANUTS (PEANUTS, COTTONSEED AND/OR PEANUT OIL, SALT, TBHQ [A PRESERVATIVE]), ALMONDS, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK (MILK, SKIM MILK, SUGAR), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: PALM KERNEL, SOYBEAN, COTTONSEED, COCONUT, OR PALM OIL), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH (CORN), EVAPORATED MILK, SALT, ACACIA (GUM ARABIC), ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SODIUM BICARBONATE, CONFECTIONER'S GLAZE (SHELLAC), COCONUT OIL, XANTHAN GUM.

Categories

Undefined

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