Red velvet mini cupcakes

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Red velvet mini cupcakes receives a safety score of 50/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 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
0085239412183
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3 CUPCAKES (71 g)

What the Data Says About

Red velvet mini cupcakes carries a composite safety score of 50/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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 2 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, Red velvet mini cupcakes 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 Red velvet mini cupcakes
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 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
Cake: Sugar
2
Bleached Enriched Wheat Flour
3
Wheat Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Reduced Iron
6
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Water
10
Egg
11
Vegetable Oil
12
Canola And Soybean
13
Chocolate Chips
14
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Chocolate Liquor
16
Cocoa Butter
17
Soy Lecithin
18
Vanilla Extract
19
Corn Starch
20
Whey Powder
21
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
22
Leavening
23
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
24
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
25
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
26
Monocalcium Phosphate
27
Calcium Sulfate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
28
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
29
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
30
Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters Of Mono And Diglycerides
31
Artificial Flavor. Icing: Icing Sugar
32
Dried Cream Cheese
33
Cream
34
Skim Milk Powder
35
Bacterial Culture
36
Carob Bean Gum
37
Non-hydrogenated Vegetable Oil Shortening
38
Canola
39
Palm
40
Palm And Palm Kernel Oil
41
Artificial Flavor
42
Beta Carotene
43
Polysorbate 60. Crumbs: Sugar
44
Bread Crumb
45
Enriched Wheat Flour
46
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
47
Yeast
48
Canola Oil
49
Fructose
Sweetener
Cut Back
50
Cocoa Powder Processed With Alkali
51
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Cake: sugar, bleached enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, egg, vegetable oil (canola and soybean), chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), modified corn starch, whey powder, red 40, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate), soy lecithin, wheat gluten, salt, diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides, artificial flavor. icing: icing sugar, cream cheese (cream, skim milk powder, bacterial culture, salt, carob bean gum), non-hydrogenated vegetable oil shortening (canola, palm, modified palm and palm kernel oil), modified corn starch, artificial flavor, salt, beta carotene, polysorbate 60. crumbs: sugar, bread crumb (enriched wheat flour [wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], sugar, salt, yeast, canola oil), fructose, canola oil, cocoa powder processed with alkali, red 40 lake, artificial flavor.

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