Duncan hines, decadent cake mix, triple chocolate

by Duncan Hines

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Duncan hines, decadent cake mix, triple chocolate by Duncan Hines receives a safety score of 95/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient 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
0644209413300
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
0.083 PACKAGE (50 g)

What the Data Says About

Duncan hines, decadent cake mix, triple chocolate by Duncan Hines carries a composite safety score of 95/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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 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, decadent cake mix, triple chocolate 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, decadent cake mix, triple chocolate
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 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.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
2
Bleached Wheat Flour
3
Wheat Flour
4
Enriched With Niacin
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
Malted Barley Flour
10
Cocoa Powder Processed With Alkali
11
Vegetable Oil Shortening
12
Palm Oil
13
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
14
Or Less Of: Modified Food Starch
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Leavening
17
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
18
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate
19
Monocalcium Phosphate Monohydrate
20
Emulsifier
21
Propylene Esters
22
Mono And Diglycerides
23
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
24
Natural And Artificial Flavor
25
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
26
Cocoa Butter
27
Cocoa Powder
28
Natural And Artificial Flavoring
29
Butter
30
Cream
31
Leucine
32
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
33
. Chocolate Pouch: Sugar
34
Milk Chocolate Chunks
35
Whole Milk Powder
36
Chocolate Liquor
37
Soya Lecithin
38
Artificial Flavor
39
Vanillin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
40
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
41
Modified Food Starch
42
Or Less Of: Salt
43
Karaya Gum
44
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
45
Cysteine
Preservative
Safe
46
Guar And Xanthan Gum
47
Colored With
48
Soy Lecithin

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, bleached wheat flour (wheat flour [enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], malted barley flour), cocoa powder processed with alkali, vegetable oil shortening (palm oil), dextrose, contains 2% or less of: modified food starch, salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate monohydrate), emulsifier (propylene esters, mono and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate), natural and artificial flavor (maltodextrin, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, natural and artificial flavoring, butter [cream, salt], leucine, caramel color). chocolate pouch: sugar, milk chocolate chunks (sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, butter, soya lecithin, artificial flavor [vanillin]), cocoa processed with alkali, modified food starch, vegetable oil shortening (palm oil). contains 2% or less of: salt, maltodextrin, natural and artificial flavor, karaya gum, polysorbate 60, cysteine, guar and xanthan gum, colored with (caramel color), soy lecithin.

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