Carnation Breakfast Essentials

by Carnation

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Carnation Breakfast Essentials by Carnation receives a safety score of 95/100 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
0050000783090
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
237mL

What the Data Says About

Carnation Breakfast Essentials 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.

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, Carnation Breakfast Essentials 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 Carnation Breakfast Essentials
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 Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Water
2
Glucose Syrup
3
Milk Protein Concentrate
4
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
5
Canola Oil
6
Soy Protein Isolate
7
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
8
Corn Oil
9
Fructooligosaccharides
10
Inulin From Chicory
11
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
12
Cellulose Gel And Gum
13
Natural Flavor
14
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
15
Stevia Leaf Extract
16
Potassium Citrate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
17
Magnesium Chloride
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
18
Calcium Phosphate
19
Magnesium Phosphate
20
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
21
Choline Bitartrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
22
Potassium Chloride
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
23
Dl-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate
24
Ferric Pyrophosphate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
25
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
26
Zinc Sulfate
MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
27
Calcium Pantothenate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
28
Manganese Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
29
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
30
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
31
Thiamine Hydrochloride
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
32
Copper Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
33
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
34
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
35
Potassium Iodide
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, TRACER
GRAS
36
Vitamin K1
37
Sodium Molybdate
38
Biotin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
39
Chromium Chloride
40
Vitamin D3
41
Sodium Selenite
42
Vitamin B12

Full Ingredient List

water, glucose syrup, milk protein concentrate, sugar, canola oil, soy protein isolate, cocoa processed with alkali, corn oil, fructooligosaccharides, inulin from chicory, salt, cellulose gel and gum, natural flavor, carrageenan, stevia leaf extract, potassium citrate, magnesium chloride, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, sodium ascorbate, choline bitartrate, potassium chloride, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, ferric pyrophosphate, niacinamide, zinc sulfate, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamine hydrochloride, copper sulfate, vitamin a palmitate, folic acid, potassium iodide, vitamin k1, sodium molybdate, biotin, chromium chloride, vitamin d3, sodium selenite, vitamin b12

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Breakfasts Cereals and potatoes Cereals and their products Breakfast cereals Dietary supplements Bodybuilding supplements Protein shakes

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