Caramel dark chocolate bar

by Ahold

90
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Caramel dark chocolate bar by Ahold receives a safety score of 90/100 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
0688267179051
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 BAR (57 g)

What the Data Says About

Caramel dark chocolate bar by Ahold carries a composite safety score of 90/100, 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 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, Caramel dark chocolate bar 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 Caramel dark chocolate bar
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 90/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 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
Dark Chocolate
2
Cocoa Mass Sugar
3
Cocoa Butter
4
Soy Lecithin
5
Emulsifier
6
Vanilla Extract
7
Filling
8
Caramel
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
9
Corn Syrup
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
Cut Back GRAS
10
Butter
11
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
12
Coconut Oil
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Listed
13
Fructose
Sweetener
Cut Back
14
Milk
15
Emulsifiers {Mono And Diglycerides
16
Soy Lecithin}
17
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
18
Natural And Artificial Flavors
19
Citric Acid {Preservative}
20
Cream
21
Heavy Cream
22
Polysorbate 80
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
23
Carrageenan
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Caution GRAS
24
Granulated Sugar
25
Unsalted Butter
26
Pasteurized Cream
27
Flavorings
28
Vanilla Paste
29
Madagascar Bourbon
30
Vanilla Bean Specks
31
Gum Tragacanth {Vegetable Based Thickener}
32
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back

Full Ingredient List

Dark chocolate (cocoa mass sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin [emulsifier], vanilla extract), filling (caramel [corn syrup, butter, sugar, hydrogenated coconut oil, fructose, milk, emulsifiers {mono and diglycerides, soy lecithin}, salt, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid {preservative}], cream [heavy cream, milk, polysorbate 80, carrageenan], corn syrup, granulated sugar, unsalted butter [pasteurized cream, natural flavorings], vanilla paste [sugar, madagascar bourbon, vanilla extract, vanilla bean specks, gum tragacanth {vegetable based thickener}]), sea salt.

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Cocoa and its products Confectioneries Chocolate candies

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