Peanut Butter Flavored Cupcakes

by Reese's

30
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

Peanut Butter Flavored Cupcakes by Reese's receives a safety score of 30/100 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
0072250020381
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
128 g

What the Data Says About

Peanut Butter Flavored Cupcakes by Reese's carries a composite safety score of 30/100, 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, Peanut Butter Flavored Cupcakes 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 Peanut Butter Flavored Cupcakes
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 30/100 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
Nonfat Milk
3
Water
4
Enriched Bleached Flour
5
Wheat Flour
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Reduced Iron
8
Thiamin Mononitrate
9
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
10
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
11
Vegetable Oil
12
Palm Oil And Soybean Oil
13
Reese's Peanut Butter
14
Roasted Peanuts
15
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil Rapeseed
16
Hydrogenated Cottonseed And Soybean Oil
17
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
18
Peanut Oil
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
19
Monoglycerides
20
Molasses
21
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
22
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
23
Confectionery Coating
24
Palm Kernel And Palm Oils
25
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
26
Soy Lecithin
27
Vanillin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
28
Whey
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FORMULATION AID, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
29
Milk
30
Hershey's Cocoa
31
Eggs
32
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
33
Corn Starch
34
Partially Defatted Peanut Flour
35
Leavening
36
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
37
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
38
Monocalcium Phosphate
39
Roasted Peanut Extract
40
Corn Starch
41
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
42
Mono - And Diglycerides
43
Glycerine
44
Wheat Protein Isolate
45
Calcium Sulfate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
46
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
47
Natural And Artificial Flavors
48
Guar Gum
49
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
50
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate Agar
51
Spices
52
Datem
Emulsifier
Safe
53
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
54
Agave Syrup
55
Inulin
Other
Safe
56
Organic Agave
57
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
58
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
59
Tricalcium Phosphate
60
Titanium Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TRACER
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
61
Color
62
Sodium Hexametaphosphate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
63
Enzymes
64
Corn Flour
65
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
66
Cellulose Gum
67
Propylene Glycol Stearate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Listed
68
Potassium Sorbate And Sorbic Acid
69
To Retard Spoilage
70
Topped With Candy Sprinkles
71
Palm And Palm Kernel Oil
72
Cocoa Powder
73
Dextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Safe GRAS
74
Carnauba Wax
75
Confectioner's Glaze
76
Fd&c Yellow # 5 Lake
77
Fd&c Yellow #6 Lake
78
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
79
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
80
Fd&c Blue #1 And Fd&c Red #40

Full Ingredient List

SUGAR, NONFAT MILK, WATER, ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (PALM OIL AND SOYBEAN OIL), REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER (ROASTED PEANUTS, SUGAR, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL RAPESEED, COTTONSEED AND SOYBEAN OIL), SALT, PEANUT OIL, MONOGLYCERIDES, MOLASSES, CORNSTARCH), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CONFECTIONERY COATING (SUGAR, PALM KERNEL AND PALM OILS, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, VANILLIN, WHEY [MILK]), HERSHEY'S COCOA, EGGS, CORN SYRUP, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, PARTIALLY DEFATTED PEANUT FLOUR, LEAVENING (SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), ROASTED PEANUT EXTRACT, CORN STARCH, MONOGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM CARBONATE, MONO - AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT, GLYCERINE, WHEAT PROTEIN ISOLATE, CALCIUM SULFATE, SOY LECITHIN, DEXTROSE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, GUAR GUM, XANTHAN GUM, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE AGAR, SPICES, WHEAT FLOUR, DATEM, CARAMEL COLOR, AGAVE SYRUP, INULIN (AGAVE), POLYSORBATE 60, CITRIC ACID, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (COLOR), SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, ENZYMES, CORN FLOUR, POTATO STARCH, CELLULOSE GUM, PROPYLENE GLYCOL STEARATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND SORBIC ACID (TO RETARD SPOILAGE), TOPPED WITH CANDY SPRINKLES (SUGAR, CORN STARCH, PALM AND PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA POWDER, SOY LECITHIN, DEXTRIN, CARNAUBA WAX, CONFECTIONER'S GLAZE, FD&C YELLOW # 5 LAKE, FD&C YELLOW #6 LAKE, FD&C YELLOW #5, FD&C YELLOW #6, FD&C BLUE #1 AND FD&C RED #40).

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Cakes

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