Oat Squares Cereal

by Meijer

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Oat Squares Cereal by Meijer receives a safety score of 85/100 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
0708820494738
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
56 g (1 cup)

What the Data Says About

Oat Squares Cereal by Meijer carries a composite safety score of 85/100, 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 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, Oat Squares Cereal 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 Oat Squares Cereal
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 85/100 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
Whole Grain Oat Flour
2
Whole Grain Wheat Flour
3
Brown Sugar
4
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
5
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
6
Malted Barley Extract
7
Molasses
8
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
9
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
10
Natural Flavor
11
Color Added
12
BHT
Caution GRAS
13
A Preservative
14
Vitamins & Minerals: Calcium Carbonate
15
Reduced Iron
16
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
17
Vitamin C
18
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
19
Zinc Oxide
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
20
Alpha Tocopherol Acetate
21
Vitamin E
22
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
23
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
24
Vitamin B6
25
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
26
Vitamin B2
27
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
28
Thiamin Mononitrate
29
Vitamin B1
30
Vitamin D
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
31
Vitamin B12

Full Ingredient List

Whole grain oat flour, whole grain wheat flour, brown sugar, sugar, maltodextrin, malted barley extract, molasses, salt, sodium bicarbonate, natural flavor, color added, bht (a preservative) vitamins & minerals: calcium carbonate, reduced iron, sodium ascorbate (vitamin c), niacinamide, zinc oxide, alpha tocopherol acetate (vitamin e), vitamin a palmitate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin b6), riboflavin (vitamin b2), folic acid, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin b1), vitamin d, vitamin b12.

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