Duncan hines, cake mix, classic carrot

by Duncan Hines

70
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Duncan hines, cake mix, classic carrot by Duncan Hines 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
0644209413003
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
0.08 PACKAGE (50 g)

What the Data Says About

Duncan hines, cake mix, classic carrot by Duncan Hines 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, Duncan hines, cake mix, classic carrot 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, cake mix, classic carrot
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 Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Bleached Wheat Flour
2
Wheat Flour
3
Enriched With Niacin
4
Reduced Iron
5
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
8
Malted Barley Flour
9
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
10
Carrots
11
Raisins
12
Canola Oil
13
Brown Sugar
14
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
15
Vegetable Shortening
16
Palm Oil
17
Soybean Oil
18
Mono - And Diglycerides
19
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
20
Tbhq And Citric Acid
21
Added To Protect Flavor
22
Leavening
23
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate
24
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
25
Spices
26
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
27
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
28
Modified Food Starch
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
Colored With Yellow 5 Lake
31
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)

Full Ingredient List

Bleached wheat flour (wheat flour [enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], malted barley flour), sugar, dehydrated carrots, raisins, canola oil, brown sugar, dextrose, vegetable shortening (palm oil, soybean oil, mono - and diglycerides, polysorbate 60, tbhq and citric acid [added to protect flavor]), soybean oil, leavening (sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium bicarbonate), spices, salt, caramel color, modified food starch, xanthan gum, colored with yellow 5 lake, red 40 lake.

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Snacks Cereals and potatoes Sweet snacks Cereals and their products Flours Biscuits and cakes Cereal flours 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