Pediasure Sidekicks Chocolate 24Ct/8 Fl Oz Bottles (Club Pack)

40
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

Pediasure Sidekicks Chocolate 24Ct/8 Fl Oz Bottles (Club Pack) receives a safety score of 40/100 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
0070074564210
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
240 ml

What the Data Says About

Pediasure Sidekicks Chocolate 24Ct/8 Fl Oz Bottles (Club Pack) carries a composite safety score of 40/100, 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, Pediasure Sidekicks Chocolate 24Ct/8 Fl Oz Bottles (Club Pack) 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 Pediasure Sidekicks Chocolate 24Ct/8 Fl Oz Bottles (Club Pack)
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 40/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 4 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
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Milk Protein Concentrate
4
Soy Oil
5
Cocoa Powder
6
Short-chain Fructooligosaccharides
7
Soy Protein Isolate
8
Less Than 0.5% Of:
9
Cellulose Gel
10
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
11
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
12
Calcium Phosphate
13
Magnesium Phosphate
14
Natural & Artificial Flavor
15
Potassium Phosphate
16
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
17
Potassium Citrate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
18
Cellulose Gum
19
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
20
Choline Chloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
21
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
22
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
23
Soy Lecithin
24
Monoglycerides
25
Potassium Hydroxide
FORMULATION AID, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, WASHING OR SURFACE REMOVAL AGENT
GRAS
26
M-inositol
27
Taurine
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe Listed
28
Acesulfame Potassium
NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
29
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
30
Sucralose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
31
Dl-alpha-tocopheryl Acetate
32
L-carnitine
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Listed
33
Zinc Sulfate
MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
34
Calcium Pantothenate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
35
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
36
Manganese Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
37
Thiamine Hydrochloride
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
38
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
39
Red 3
Avoid Banned (FDA revoked Jan 2025)
40
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
41
Copper Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
42
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
43
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
44
Chromium Chloride
45
Biotin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
46
Potassium Iodide
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, TRACER
GRAS
47
Sodium Selenate
48
Sodium Molybdate
49
Phylloquinone
50
Vitamin D3
51
Vitamin B12

Full Ingredient List

Water, Sugar, Milk Protein Concentrate, Soy Oil, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Short-Chain Fructooligosaccharides, Soy Protein Isolate, Less Than 0.5% Of:, Cellulose Gel, Whey Protein Concentrate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Phosphate, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Potassium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Citrate, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Carrageenan, Soy Lecithin, Monoglycerides, Potassium Hydroxide, M-Inositol, Taurine, Acesulfame Potassium, Ferrous Sulfate, Sucralose, Dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, L-Carnitine, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacinamide, Manganese Sulfate, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Red 3, Riboflavin, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Folic Acid, Chromium Chloride, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenate, Sodium Molybdate, Phylloquinone, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12

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