Caution

Duncan hines, perfect size, red velvet cake mix & cream cheese frosting mix

by Duncan Hines

Scores 75/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 1 flagged ingredient identified.

Barcode 0644209404155 · Serving size 0.2 PACKAGE (53 g)

The verdict

Duncan hines, perfect size, red velvet cake mix & cream cheese frosting mix by Duncan Hines scores 75/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 43 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 1 ingredient is flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

75/100
Caution safety score
1
flagged ingredient of 43 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0644209404155
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

What the Data Says About Duncan hines, perfect size, red velvet cake mix & cream cheese frosting mix

Duncan hines, perfect size, red velvet cake mix & cream cheese frosting mix by Duncan Hines carries a composite safety score of 75/100, 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

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, Duncan hines, perfect size, red velvet cake mix & cream cheese frosting mix 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Duncan hines, perfect size, red velvet cake mix & cream cheese frosting mix
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 75/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 94,909 products we've scored in the Snacks category, the average safety score is 87.4/100. Duncan hines, perfect size, red velvet cake mix & cream cheese frosting mix scores 12.4 points below that category average (75/100 vs. 87.4/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Cake Mix
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour
4
Flour
5
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Reduced Iron
7
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
10
Vegetable Oil Shortening
11
Palm Oil
12
Cocoa Powder Processed With Alkali
13
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
14
Leavening
15
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
16
Dicalcium Phosphate
17
Monocalcium Phosphate
18
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate
19
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
20
Emulsifier
21
Propylene Esters
22
Mono And Diglycerides
23
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
24
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
25
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
26
Artificial Flavors
27
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
28
Cellulose Gum
29
Frosting Mix
30
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
31
Corn Starch
32
Cream Cheese Powder
33
Dried Cream Cheese
34
Cream
35
Milk
36
Skim Milk
37
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
38
Cheese Cultures
39
Enzymes
40
Natural Flavor
41
Tocopherols And Ascorbyl Palmitate
42
To Protect Flavor
43
Natural And Artificial Flavor

Full Ingredient List

Cake mix (sugar, enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil shortening (palm oil), cocoa powder processed with alkali, wheat starch, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, dicalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate), dextrose, emulsifier (propylene esters, mono and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate), salt, red 40, artificial flavors, xanthan gum, cellulose gum), frosting mix (powdered sugar [sugar, corn starch], cream cheese powder [cream cheese (cream, milk, skim milk, whey, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), whey, natural flavor, tocopherols and ascorbyl palmitate (to protect flavor)], natural and artificial flavor).

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Cakes Cooking helpers Dessert mixes Pastry helpers Baking Mixes Cake mixes

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.