Light Ice Cream, Chocolate

by m&m's

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 11 flagged ingredients

Light Ice Cream, Chocolate by m&m's 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 11 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
0047677386518
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
0.5 cup (67 g)

What the Data Says About

Light Ice Cream, Chocolate by m&m's 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 11 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, Light Ice Cream, Chocolate 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 D 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 Light Ice Cream, Chocolate
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 11 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score D OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Ice Cream: Milk
2
Cream
3
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
4
Skim Milk
5
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
6
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
7
Buttermilk
8
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
9
Cocoa Powder Processed With Alkali
10
Carob Bean Gum
11
Guar Gum
12
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
13
Mono And Diglycerides
14
Natural And Artificial Flavors
15
Cellulose Gel
16
Cellulose Gum
17
Polysorbate 80. M&m's Brand Minis Milk Chocolate Candies:
18
Milk Chocolate
19
Natural Chocolate
20
Cocoa Butter
21
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
22
Milkfat
23
Soy Lecithin
24
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
25
Artificial Flavors
26
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
27
Coloring
28
Includes Yellow 5 Lake
29
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
30
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
31
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
32
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
33
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
34
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
35
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
36
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
37
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
38
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
39
Cocoa Butter. Chocolate Variegate: Sugar
40
Soybean Oil
41
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
42
Salt. Sprinkles: Sugar
43
Corn Starch
44
Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
45
Soybean
46
Cottonseed
47
Includes Blue 1 Lake
48
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
49
Confectioner's Glaze
50
Carnauba Wax

Full Ingredient List

Ice cream: milk, cream, corn syrup, skim milk, high fructose corn syrup, whey, buttermilk, sugar, cocoa powder processed with alkali, carob bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides, natural and artificial flavors, cellulose gel, cellulose gum, polysorbate 80. 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], cocoa butter. chocolate variegate: sugar, soybean oil, cocoa powder processed with alkali, skim milk, coconut oil, soy lecithin, mono and diglycerides, salt. sprinkles: sugar, corn starch, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (soybean and/or cottonseed), coloring (includes blue 1 lake, red 40 lake, yellow 5 lake, yellow 6 lake, soy lecithin, dextrin, confectioner's glaze, natural and artificial flavors, carnauba wax.

Categories

Desserts Frozen foods Frozen desserts Ice creams and sorbets Ice creams Ice cream tubs Chocolate ice cream tubs

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