Lucas, mini candy strips, sandia watermelon

by Lucas

70
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Lucas, mini candy strips, sandia watermelon by Lucas receives a safety score of 70/100 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
0502226813964
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 PACKAGE (14 g)

What the Data Says About

Lucas, mini candy strips, sandia watermelon by Lucas carries a composite safety score of 70/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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, Lucas, mini candy strips, sandia watermelon 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 Lucas, mini candy strips, sandia watermelon
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 70/100 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
Candy Strips:
2
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Wheat Flour
4
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
5
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
6
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
7
Sorbitol Syrup
8
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
9
Palm Oil
10
Chili Powder
11
Glycerol
12
Iodized Salt
13
Wheat Fiber
14
Sodium Citrate
15
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
16
Sodium Lactate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, WASHING OR SURFACE REMOVAL AGENT
GRAS
17
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
18
Artificial Flavor
19
Mono - And Diglycerides
20
Sodium Benzoate And Potassium Sorbate As Preservatives
21
Color
22
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
23
Soy Lecithin
24
Sauce:
25
Water
26
Corn Starch
27
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
28
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
29
Ascorbic Acid Sucralose

Full Ingredient List

Candy strips: (high fructose corn syrup, wheat flour, corn syrup, sugar, dextrose, sorbitol syrup, citric acid, hydrogenated palm oil, chili powder, glycerol, iodized salt, wheat fiber, sodium citrate, lactic acid, sodium lactate, malic acid, artificial flavor, mono - and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate as preservatives, color (fd&c red 40), soy lecithin), sauce: (water, iodized salt, citric acid, chili powder, dextrose, modified corn starch, caramel color, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate as preservatives, ascorbic acid sucralose, artificial flavor).

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Confectioneries

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