Avoid

Dark chocolate mix

Scores 25/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 3 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0077260069993

The verdict

Dark chocolate mix scores 25/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 41 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 3 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

25/100
Avoid safety score
3
flagged ingredients of 41 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0077260069993
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

What the Data Says About Dark chocolate mix

Dark chocolate mix carries a composite safety score of 25/100, 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

Our scan identified 3 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, Dark chocolate mix 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 Dark chocolate mix
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 25/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 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
Dark Chocolate
2
Maltitol
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Chocolate Liquor
4
Vegetable Oil
5
Palm
6
Organic Sunflower
7
Shea
8
Cocoa Butter
9
Milk Fat
10
Soy Lecithin
11
Emulsifier
12
Stevia Leaf Extract
13
Natural Flavor
14
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
Maltitol Syrup
16
Peanut Butter
17
Dry Roasted Peanuts
18
Hydrogenated Cottonseed/rapeseed Oil
19
Soy Oil
20
Pastel Coating
21
Palm Kernel Oil
22
Palm Oil
23
Sodium Caseinate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
24
Milk
25
Glycerol-lacto Esters Of Fatty Acids
26
Vanillin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
27
Artificial Flavor
28
Polydextrose
FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Cut Back Approved
29
Sorbitol
Sweetener
Cut Back
30
Vegetable Oils
31
Palm Kernel
32
Soybean
33
Natural And Artificial Flavors
34
Spice
35
Artificial Caramel Flavor
36
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
37
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
38
Preservatives
39
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
40
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
41
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

dark chocolate (maltitol, chocolate liquor [processed with alkali], vegetable oil [palm, sunflower and/or shea], cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin [emulsifier], stevia leaf extract, natural flavor, salt), maltitol syrup, peanut butter (dry roasted peanuts, hydrogenated cottonseed/rapeseed oil, soy oil, salt), pastel coating (maltitol, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated palm oil, sodium caseinate [milk], milk fat, glycerol-lacto esters of fatty acids, soy lecithin [emulsifier], vanillin [artificial flavor], natural flavor, polydextrose, palm kernel oil, maltitol, milk fat, sorbitol, sodium caseinate [milk], hydrogenated vegetable oils [palm kernel, milk], hydrogenated vegetable oils [contains soybean], salt, natural and artificial flavors, soy lecithin [emulsifier], stevia leaf extract, spice, cocoa butter, artificial caramel flavor, citric acid, sodium benzoate [preservatives], yellow 5 , 6, red 40, blue 1)

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.