Meringue Pie

by The Bakery

45
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Meringue Pie by The Bakery receives a safety score of 45/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 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
0078742049168
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
0.1667 PIE (118 g)

What the Data Says About

Meringue Pie by The Bakery carries a composite safety score of 45/100, 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 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, 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 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 Meringue Pie
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 45/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 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
Water
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Wheat Flour
4
Palm Oil Shortening
5
Soybean Oil Shortening
6
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
7
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
8
Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Agar
9
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
10
Butter
11
Cream
12
Natural Flavor
13
Canola Oil
14
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
15
Carob Bean Gum
16
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
17
Cellulose Gum
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
Cream Of Tartar
20
Egg Whites
21
Guar Gum
22
Key Lime Puree
23
Key Lime Juice Concentrate
24
Key Lime Pulp
25
Key Lime Oil
26
Lime Peel
27
Lime Puree
28
Lime Juice Concentrate
29
Lime Pulp
30
Lime Oil
31
Natural & Artificial Flavors
32
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
33
Preservative
34
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
35
Sodium Alum
36
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
37
Sodium Phosphate
38
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
39
Tapioca Dextrin
40
Titanium Dioxide Color
41
Vanillin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
42
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Water, sugar, wheat flour, palm oil shortening, soybean oil shortening, high fructose corn syrup, modified tapioca starch, contains 2% or less of each of the following: agar, blue 1, butter (cream, natural flavor), canola oil, caramel color, carob bean gum, dextrose, cellulose gum, cornstarch, cream of tartar, egg whites, guar gum, key lime puree (key lime juice concentrate, key lime pulp, key lime oil, lime peel), lime puree (lime juice concentrate, lime pulp, lime oil, lime peel), natural & artificial flavors, potassium sorbate (preservative), salt, sodium alum, sodium benzoate (preservative), sodium phosphate, sorbic acid (preservative), tapioca dextrin, titanium dioxide color, vanillin, yellow 5.

Categories

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

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