Golden vanilla mini cupcakes with buttercreme icing

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 5 flagged ingredients

Golden vanilla mini cupcakes with buttercreme icing receives a safety score of 0/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 5 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
0078742029146
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3 CUPCAKES (71 g)

What the Data Says About

Golden vanilla mini cupcakes with buttercreme icing carries a composite safety score of 0/100, 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 5 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, Golden vanilla mini cupcakes with buttercreme icing 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 Golden vanilla mini cupcakes with buttercreme icing
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 5 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
Water
3
Bleached Enriched Wheat Flour
4
Flour
5
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Reduced Iron
7
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
10
Vegetable Oil
11
Palm
12
Soybean
13
Canola
14
Palm Kernel
15
Rice Flour
16
Eggs
17
Food Starch-modified
18
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
19
Leavening
20
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
21
Baking Soda
22
Monocalcium Phosphate
23
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate
24
Aluminum Sulfate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
25
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
26
Nonfat Milk
27
Egg Whites
28
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
29
Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
30
Cottonseed
31
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
32
Mono - And Diglycerides
33
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
34
Soy Lecithin
35
Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Approved
36
Guar Gum
37
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
38
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
39
Preservative
40
Glycerin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
41
Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose
42
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
43
Gum Arabic
44
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
45
Datem
Emulsifier
Safe
46
Confectioner's Glaze
47
Wheat Protein Isolate
48
Natural & Artificial Flavors
49
Carrageenan Gum
50
Red 3
Avoid Banned (FDA revoked Jan 2025)
51
Calcium Stearoyl-2-lactylate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
52
Titanium Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TRACER
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
53
Color
54
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
55
Methylcellulose
56
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
57
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, water, bleached enriched wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (palm, soybean, canola and/or palm kernel), rice flour, eggs, food starch-modified, cornstarch, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, aluminum sulfate), corn syrup, nonfat milk, egg whites, salt, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (soybean, cottonseed), whey, mono - and diglycerides, wheat starch, soy lecithin, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, guar gum, polysorbate 60, potassium sorbate (preservative), glycerin, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, red 40, gum arabic, sodium stearoyl lactylate, datem, confectioner's glaze, wheat protein isolate, natural & artificial flavors, carrageenan gum, red 3, calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate, titanium dioxide (color), xanthan gum, methylcellulose, yellow 5, yellow 6.

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