Arnott's, tim tam cookies, chewy caramel

by Arnott's

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 5 flagged ingredients

Arnott's, tim tam cookies, chewy caramel by Arnott's 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
0310072028193
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1.4 ONZ (39 g)

What the Data Says About

Arnott's, tim tam cookies, chewy caramel by Arnott's 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, Arnott's, tim tam cookies, chewy caramel 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 Arnott's, tim tam cookies, chewy caramel
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
Made From: Sugar
2
Wheat Flour
3
Caramel
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
4
Organic Invert Syrup
5
Sweetened Condensed Milk
6
Milk Sugar
7
Butter
8
Glucose
9
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
10
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
11
Soy Lecithin
12
Mono And Diglycerides
13
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
14
Artificial Flavor
15
Tocopherols
ANTIOXIDANT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
16
Antioxidant
17
Vegetable Oils
18
Palm
19
Partially Hydrogenated Palm
20
Milk Powder
21
Cocoa Butter
22
Chocolate Liquor
23
Sugar Syrup
24
Percent Or Less Of: Nonfat Milk Powder
25
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
26
Butter Oil
27
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
28
Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Approved
29
Leavening
30
Ammonium Bicarbonate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
31
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
32
Cocoa Powder
33
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
34
Natural And Artificial Flavors
35
Sodium Metabisulfite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FREEZING OR COOLING AGENT, DIRECT CONTACT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT
GRAS
36
Preservative
37
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
38
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
39
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Made from: sugar, wheat flour, caramel (invert syrup, sweetened condensed milk (milk sugar), butter, glucose, dextrose, glycerin, soy lecithin, mono and diglycerides, salt, artificial flavor, tocopherols [antioxidant]), vegetable oils (palm, partially hydrogenated palm), milk powder, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, sugar syrup, contains 2 percent or less of: nonfat milk powder, whey, butter oil, caramel color, soy lecithin, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, leavening (ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate), cocoa powder, salt, red 40, natural and artificial flavors, sodium metabisulfite (preservative), yellow 6, blue 1, yellow 5.

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