Tapioca Pudding

by Wisconsin Cheese Group Inc.

20
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

Tapioca Pudding by Wisconsin Cheese Group Inc. 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
0072820382505
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3 ONZ (85 g)

What the Data Says About

Tapioca Pudding by Wisconsin Cheese Group Inc. 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, Tapioca Pudding 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 C 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 Tapioca Pudding
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 C OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Whole Milk
2
Milk
3
Vitamin D
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
4
Water
5
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
6
Tapioca
7
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
8
Condensed Sweetened Milk
9
Imitation Vanilla Flavor
10
Propylene Glycol
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
11
Vanillin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
12
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
13
Ethyl Vanillin
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT
GRAS
14
Artificial Flavor
15
Sodium Benzoate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
16
Preservative
17
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
18
Food Color
19
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
20
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
21
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
22
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Whole milk (milk, vitamin d), water, sugar, tapioca, modified cornstarch, condensed sweetened milk (milk, sugar), imitation vanilla flavor (water, propylene glycol, vanillin, caramel color, ethyl vanillin, artificial flavor), sodium benzoate (preservative), potassium sorbate (preservative), food color (water, fd&c yellow #5, citric acid, fd&c red #40, sodium benzoate [preservative], fd&c yellow #6).

Categories

Desserts

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