French macarons

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

French macarons receives a safety score of 95/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient 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
0085239444511
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3 COOKIES (34 g)

What the Data Says About

French macarons carries a composite safety score of 95/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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 1 flagged ingredient 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, French macarons 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 French macarons
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 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.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
2
Almonds
3
Egg White
4
Butter
5
Raspberry Filling
6
Raspberry
7
Organic Wheat Syrup
8
Sodium Alginate
9
Pectin
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
10
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
11
Cream
12
Carrageenan
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Caution GRAS
13
Chocolate Ganache
14
Cocoa Mass
15
Soy Lecithin
16
Egg
17
Corn Starch
18
Color
19
Curcumin
20
Riboflavin Phosphate
21
Chlorophyll
Listed
22
Caramel
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
23
Red Beet Juice Concentrate
24
Pistachio Flavor
25
Pistachio
26
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
27
Water
28
Natural Flavor
29
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
30
Triethyl Citrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Prior Sanctioned
31
Malt Powder
32
Lemon Extract
33
Coffee Extract
34
Invert Sugar
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Cut Back GRAS
35
Cocoa Powder

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, almonds, egg white, butter, raspberry filling (raspberry, sugar, wheat syrup, sodium alginate, pectin, citric acid), cream (cream, carrageenan), chocolate ganache (cocoa mass, sugar, soy lecithin), egg, corn starch, color (curcumin, riboflavin phosphate, chlorophyll, caramel, red beet juice concentrate), pistachio flavor (pistachio, corn syrup, water, natural flavor), citric acid, xanthan gum, triethyl citrate, malt powder, lemon extract, coffee extract (natural flavor, wheat syrup, sugar), invert sugar, cocoa powder, natural flavor, water.

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Biscuits

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