Oreo cookies

10
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

Oreo cookies receives a safety score of 10/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 4 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
0681131277983
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 COOKIE (24 g)

What the Data Says About

Oreo cookies carries a composite safety score of 10/100, 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 4 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, Oreo cookies 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 Oreo cookies
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 10/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 4 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
White Chocolate
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Cocoa Butter
4
Dry Whole Milk
5
Soy Lecithin
6
An Emulsifier
7
Vanilla Extract
8
Cookie
9
Enriched Wheat Flour
10
Wheat Flour
11
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
12
Reduced Iron
13
Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}
14
Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}
15
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
16
Palm Oil
17
Canola Oil
18
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
19
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
20
Baking Soda
21
Cinnamon
22
Artificial Flavor
23
Natural Flavor
24
Orange Drizzle
25
Vegetable Oil
26
Palm Kernel Oil
27
Palm Kernel Oil
28
Milk Solids
29
Whey Powder
30
Nonfat Milk Solids
31
Artificial Color
32
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
33
Nonpareils
34
Dextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Safe GRAS
35
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
36
Carnauba Wax
37
Magnesium Silicate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FORMULATION AID
GRAS
38
Glycerin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
39
Gum Arabic
40
Glucose
41
Glucose Powder
42
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
43
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
44
Gold Sanding Sugar
45
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
46
Confectioner's Glaze

Full Ingredient List

White chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, dry whole milk, soy lecithin [an emulsifier], vanilla extract), cookie (sugar, enriched wheat flour [wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate {vitamin b1}, riboflavin {vitamin b2}, folic acid], palm oil, canola oil, high fructose corn syrup, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, soy lecithin [an emulsifier], artificial flavor, natural flavor), orange drizzle (sugar, vegetable oil [palm kernel oil, hydrogenated palm kernel oil], milk solids, whey powder, nonfat milk solids, artificial color [fd&c yellow #6], soy lecithin [an emulsifier], salt, artificial flavor), nonpareils (sugar, dextrin, tapioca starch, carnauba wax, magnesium silicate, glycerin, gum arabic, glucose, glucose powder, fd&c yellow #6, fd&c yellow #5, fd&c red #40), gold sanding sugar (sugar, carnauba wax, fd&c yellow #5, fd&c yellow #6, fd&c blue #2, fd&c red #40, confectioner's glaze).

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Biscuits

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