Lemon crunch bites
Contains 5 flagged ingredients
Lemon crunch bites receives a safety score of 15/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 5 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.
What the Data Says About
Lemon crunch bites carries a composite safety score of 15/100, 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 5 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, Lemon crunch bites 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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 15/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 5 | 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
Full Ingredient List
Cake mix [sugar, enriched flour bleached (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), soybean oil, modified corn starch, mono and diglycerides, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate), modified whey, salt, sodium stearoyl lactylate, corn starch, dextrose, sorbitan monostearate, calcium acetate, nonfat milk, xathan gum, guar gum, natural and artificial flavor, vital wheat gluten, polysorbate 60, butter, soy flour, egg], powdered sugar (sugar, cornstarch), eggs, soybean oil, bleached enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, enzyme), water, margarine [partially hydrogenated soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, salt, mono - & diglycerides, colored with annatto & turmeric, calcium disodium edta added as a preservative, artificial flavor, vitamin a palmitate added], sugar, sugar, lemon peel, water, citric acid, lemon juice, lemon fruit base [corn syrup, lemon peel, sugar, water, modified food starch, natural & artificial flavor, citric acid, citrus pectin, benzoate of soda, potassium sorbate added as preservatives, xanthan gum, fd & c yellow no. 5], corn syrup, vegetable oil flakes [partially hydrogenated soybean oil & partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, with soybean lecithin added], invert sugar, natural & artificial lemon oil, icing stabilizer (dextrose, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, agar agar, contains 2% or less locust bean gum, mono - & diglycerides), icing stabilizer (dextrose, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, agar, contains 2% or less salt, mono - & diglycerides, locust bean gum, titanium dioxide, artificial flavor), lemon emulsion [water, propylene glycol, natural and artificial flavors, xanthan gum, propylene glycol alginate, guar gum, mono and diglycerides, preservatives (propyl gallate, citric acid), yellow 5], salt, potassium sorbate, titanium dioxide (color), sodium propionate, yellow color( water, high fructose corn syrup, glycerene, fd&c yellow 5 (e 102), sugar, modifed food starch, carrageenan, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (as preservatives), xanthan gum, citric acid).
Categories
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.
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