Avoid

Meringue Pie

by Specialty Bakers Llc

Scores 30/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 4 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0077317082142 · Serving size 4.2 ONZ (118 g)

The verdict

Meringue Pie by Specialty Bakers Llc scores 30/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 38 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 4 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.

30/100
Avoid safety score
4
flagged ingredients of 38 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
D
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

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 Meringue Pie

Meringue Pie by Specialty Bakers Llc 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. 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 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, Meringue Pie 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 D 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 Meringue Pie
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 D OpenFoodFacts

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

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 94,909 products we've scored in the Snacks category, the average safety score is 87.4/100. Meringue Pie scores 57.4 points below that category average (30/100 vs. 87.4/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Water
2
Unbleached Wheat Flour
3
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
4
Vegetable Oils
5
Palm And Soybean
6
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
7
Organic Coconut
8
Tapioca Starch-modified
9
Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Agar
10
Beta Carotene
11
For Color
12
Butter
13
Cream
14
Flavoring
15
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
16
Carob Bean Gum
17
Cellulose Gum
18
Corn Starch
19
Cream Of Tartar
20
Egg Whites
21
Glucono Delta Lactone
22
Guar Gum
23
Natural And Artificial Flavors
24
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
25
Preservative
26
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
27
Sodium Alum
28
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
29
Sodium Phosphate
30
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
31
Tapioca Dextrin
32
Titanium Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TRACER
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
33
Tocopherols
ANTIOXIDANT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
34
Milk
35
Turmeric
36
Vanillin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
37
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
38
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Water, unbleached wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oils (palm and soybean), high fructose corn syrup, coconut (processed with sodium metabisulfite), tapioca starch-modified, contains 2% or less of each of the following: agar, beta carotene (for color), butter (cream, natural flavoring), caramel color, carob bean gum, cellulose gum, corn starch, cream of tartar, egg whites, glucono delta lactone, guar gum, natural and artificial flavors, potassium sorbate (preservative), salt, sodium alum, sodium benzoate (preservative), sodium phosphate, sorbic acid, tapioca dextrin, titanium dioxide (for color), tocopherols (contains milk), turmeric (for color), vanillin, yellow 5, yellow 6.

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Cakes Sweet pies Fruit tarts Pies Lemon tarts Lemon meringue pies

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.