Safe

BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS NUTRITIONAL POWDER DRINK MIX

by Carnation

Scores 95/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 1 flagged ingredient identified.

Barcode 0050000609307 · Serving size 1 packet (36 g)

The verdict

BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS NUTRITIONAL POWDER DRINK MIX by Carnation scores 95/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 37 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.

95/100
Safe safety score
1
flagged ingredient of 37 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
E
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.

What the Data Says About BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS NUTRITIONAL POWDER DRINK MIX

BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS NUTRITIONAL POWDER DRINK MIX by Carnation carries a composite safety score of 95/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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, BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS NUTRITIONAL POWDER DRINK 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 BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS NUTRITIONAL POWDER DRINK MIX
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 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.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 49,768 products we've scored in the Beverages category, the average safety score is 94.1/100. BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS NUTRITIONAL POWDER DRINK MIX scores 0.9 points above that category average (95/100 vs. 94.1/100), so it is roughly typical for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Nonfat Milk
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
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
4
Organic Cocoa
5
Lactose And Less Than 2% Of Dicalcium Phosphate
6
Magnesium Hydroxide
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
7
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
8
Vitamin C
9
Soy Lecithin
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
Natural And Artificial Flavor
12
Ferric Orthophosphate
13
Iron Source
14
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
15
Alpha-tocopheryl Acetate
16
Vitamin E
17
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
18
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
19
Copper Gluconate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SYNERGIST
GRAS
20
Zinc Oxide
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
21
Calcium Pantothenate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
22
Pantothenic Acid
23
Manganese Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
24
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
25
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
26
Vitamin B6
27
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
28
Vitamin B1
29
Biotin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
30
Vitamin K1
31
Phytonadione
32
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
33
Vitamin D3
34
Cholecalciferol
35
Vitamin B12
36
Cyanocobalamin
37
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS

Full Ingredient List

Nonfat milk, sugar, maltodextrin, cocoa (processed with alkali), lactose and less than 2% of dicalcium phosphate, magnesium hydroxide, sodium ascorbate (vitamin c), soy lecithin, carrageenan, natural and artificial flavor, ferric orthophosphate (iron source), cornstarch, alpha-tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), niacinamide, salt, copper gluconate, zinc oxide, calcium pantothenate )(pantothenic acid), manganese sulfate, vitamin a palmitate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin b6), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin b1), biotin, vitamin k1 (phytonadione), folic acid, vitamin d3 (cholecalciferol), vitamin b12 (cyanocobalamin), wheat starch.

Categories

Beverages

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.