Duncan hines, signature cake mix, banana supreme

by Duncan Hines

45
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Duncan hines, signature cake mix, banana supreme by Duncan Hines receives a safety score of 45/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 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
0644209410804
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
0.833 PACKAGE (39 g)

What the Data Says About

Duncan hines, signature cake mix, banana supreme by Duncan Hines carries a composite safety score of 45/100, 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 3 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, Duncan hines, signature cake mix, banana supreme 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, signature cake mix, banana supreme
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 45/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 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.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
2
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour
3
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
Vegetable Oil Shortening
10
Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil
11
Soy Lecithin
12
Leavening
13
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
14
Dicalcium Phosphate
15
Or Less Of: Modified Wheat Starch
16
Emulsifier
17
Propylene Glycol Mono - And Diglycerides
18
Citric Acid To Protect Flavor
19
Dried Banana Flakes
20
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
21
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
22
Pecan Meal
23
Cellulose Gum
24
Artificial Flavor
25
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
26
Colored With
27
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
28
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
29
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil shortening (partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, soy lecithin), leavening (sodium bicarbonate, dicalcium phosphate). contains 2% or less of: wheat starch, emulsifier (propylene glycol mono - and diglycerides, soy lecithin, citric acid to protect flavor), dehydrated banana flakes, salt, dextrose, pecan meal, cellulose gum, artificial flavor, xanthan gum, colored with (caramel color, yellow 5 lake, red 40 lake).

Categories

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

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