Avoid

Sweet Bar-B-Q

by Dearborn

Scores 0/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 6 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0708165081062 · Serving size 1 ONZ (28 g)

The verdict

Sweet Bar-B-Q by Dearborn scores 0/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 43 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 6 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

0/100
Avoid safety score
6
flagged ingredients of 43 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
E
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

What the Data Says About Sweet Bar-B-Q

Sweet Bar-B-Q by Dearborn carries a composite safety score of 0/100, 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

Our scan identified 6 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, Sweet Bar-B-Q 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 Sweet Bar-B-Q
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 6 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.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 94,909 products we've scored in the Snacks category, the average safety score is 87.4/100. Sweet Bar-B-Q scores 87.4 points below that category average (0/100 vs. 87.4/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Beef Brisket
2
Seasoning
3
Honey Granules
4
Refinery Syrup
5
Honey
6
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
7
Brown Sugar
8
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
9
Dried Onion And Garlic Powder
10
Smoke Flavoring
11
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
12
Natural Smoke Flavor
13
Molasses Granules
14
Refiners Syrup
15
Cane Mill Molasses
16
Cane Caramel Color
17
Msg
18
Spices
19
With Jalapeno
20
Paprika
21
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS
22
Spice Extractives
23
Bbq Sauce
24
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
25
Water
26
Distilled Vinegar
27
Organic Tomato Puree
28
Tomato Paste
29
Modified Food Starch
30
Or Less Of Soybean Oil
31
Hydrolyzed Corn And Soy Protein
32
Spice
33
Onion Powder
34
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
35
Artificial Tomato Flavor
36
Natural And Artificial Flavor
37
Colored With
38
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
39
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
40
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
41
Titanium Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TRACER
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
42
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
43
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned

Full Ingredient List

Beef brisket, seasoning (honey granules (refinery syrup, honey), sugar, brown sugar, salt, onion and garlic powder, smoke flavoring (maltodextrin, natural smoke flavor), molasses granules (refiners syrup, cane mill molasses, cane caramel color), monosodium glutamate, spices (with jalapeno), paprika, citric acid, spice extractives), bbq sauce (high fructose corn syrup, water, distilled vinegar, tomato puree (water, tomato paste), salt, modified food starch, contains 2% or less of soybean oil, hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, spice, onion powder, dehydrated garlic, artificial tomato flavor, natural and artificial flavor, colored with (yellow 6, red 40, blue 1, titanium dioxide), caramel color), sodium nitrite.

Categories

Snacks

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.