Frosted cotton candy

20
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

Frosted cotton candy receives a safety score of 20/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 4 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
0052548618605
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 COOKIE (38 g)

What the Data Says About

Frosted cotton candy carries a composite safety score of 20/100, 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 4 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, Frosted cotton candy 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 Frosted cotton candy
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 20/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 4 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
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
2
Enriched Bleached Flour
3
Wheat Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Reduced Iron
6
Thiamin Mononitrate
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Margarine
10
Palm Oil
11
Water
12
Soybean Oil
13
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
14
Or Less Of: Mono - & Diglycerides
15
Calcium Disodium Edta
16
Preservative
17
Artificial Flavor
18
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
19
Color
20
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
21
Eggs
22
Or Less Of: Corn Starch
23
Palm Kernel Oil
24
Leavening
25
Baking Soda
26
Sodium Aluminum Sulfate
27
Monocalcium Phosphate
28
Rice Flour
29
Modified Food Starch
30
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
31
Natural & Artificial Flavors
32
Soy Lecithin
33
Emulsifier
34
Confectioner's Glaze
35
Nonfat Milk
36
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
37
Cellulose Gum
38
Colored With
39
Titanium Dioxide On Mica
40
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
41
Red 3
Avoid Banned (FDA revoked Jan 2025)
42
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
43
Carmine
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
44
Gum Arabic
45
Sodium Propionate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
46
Glucose Syrup
47
Carnauba Wax
48
Phosphoric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
Cut Back GRAS

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), margarine (palm oil, water, soybean oil, salt, contains 2% or less of: mono - & diglycerides, calcium disodium edta [preservative], artificial flavor, annatto [color], vitamin a palmitate), eggs, water, contains 2% or less of: corn starch, palm kernel oil, palm oil, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum sulfate, monocalcium phosphate), rice flour, modified food starch, polysorbate 60, natural & artificial flavors, soy lecithin (emulsifier), confectioner's glaze, nonfat milk, carrageenan, cellulose gum, colored with (titanium dioxide on mica [color], blue 1 lake, red 3, red 40, carmine [color]), gum arabic, sodium propionate (preservative), glucose syrup, carnauba wax, phosphoric acid.

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Biscuits

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