Protein Bar Cookie and Cream

by Gatorade

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Protein Bar Cookie and Cream by Gatorade 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
0052000053654
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 bar (80 g)

What the Data Says About

Protein Bar Cookie and Cream by Gatorade 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, Protein Bar Cookie and Cream 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 Protein Bar Cookie and Cream
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 Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
2
Corn Starch
3
Calcium Carbonate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
4
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
5
Vegetable Oil
6
Palm Kernel And Palm Oil
7
Palm Kernel Oil
8
Palm Oil
9
Sorbitan Tristearate
10
TBHQ
Preservative
Avoid Approved (preservative, 21 CFR 172.185)
11
Organic Cocoa
12
Natural Flavor
13
Soy Lecithin
14
Vanilla Flavored Creme Layer
15
Soybean Oil
16
Nonfat Dry Milk
17
Dry Whole Milk
18
Milk Fat
19
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
20
Caramel
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
21
Glucose Syrup
22
Nonfat Milk
23
Glycerin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
24
Butter
25
Cream
26
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
27
Dry Whey
28
Mono And Diglycerides
29
Brown Sugar
30
Milk Protein Concentrate
31
Invert Sugar
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Cut Back GRAS
32
Chocolate Cookie Pieces
33
Wheat Flour
34
Baking Soda
35
Vegetable Shortening
36
Mixed Tocopherols
37
Water
38
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS

Full Ingredient List

whey protein concentrate, corn starch, calcium carbonate, sugar, vegetable oil (palm kernel and palm oil), palm kernel oil, palm oil, sorbitan tristearate, TBHQ, cocoa (processed with alkali), natural flavor, soy lecithin, vanilla flavored creme layer (sugar, vegetable oil [palm kernel and palm oil], soybean oil, nonfat dry milk, dry whole milk, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural flavor), corn syrup, caramel (glucose syrup, sugar, palm oil, nonfat milk, glycerin, butter [cream, salt], dry whey, corn starch, salt, mono and diglycerides, natural flavor, soy lecithin), brown sugar, milk protein concentrate, glycerin, invert sugar, chocolate cookie pieces (wheat flour, sugar, palm oil, cocoa [processed with alkali], salt, baking soda), vegetable shortening (palm kernel oil, palm oil, sorbitan tristearate, TBHQ), salt, natural flavor, mixed tocopherols, water, citric acid

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