Chocolate chip gooey butter cake

90
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Chocolate chip gooey butter cake 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
0794032551950
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
42 g (42 g)

What the Data Says About

Chocolate chip gooey butter cake 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, Chocolate chip gooey butter cake 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 Chocolate chip gooey butter cake
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
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
2
Enriched Wheat Flour Bleached
3
Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Reduced Iron
6
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Cocoa Processed With Alkali Soybean Oil Leavening
10
Baking Soda
11
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
12
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate Monocalcium Phosphate
13
Aluminum Sulfate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
14
Food Starch-modified
15
Propylene Glycol Mono & Diesters Of Fatty Acids
16
Mono & Diglycerides With Bht & Citric Acid As Preservatives Dextrose
17
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
18
Sorbitan Monostearate Nonfat Milk Solids
19
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
20
Soy Lecithin
21
Propylene Glycol
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
22
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
23
Cellulose Gum
24
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
25
Water
26
Natural And Artificial Flavor
27
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
28
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
29
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
30
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
31
Culfites
32
Silicon Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT
Safe GRAS
33
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
34
Dried Cream Cheese
35
Pasteurized Milk
36
Cream Cheese Culture
37
Carob Bean Gum
38
Whole Eggs
39
Margarine
40
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
41
Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil
42
Mono-and Diglycerides
43
Colored With Annato/turmeric
44
Calcium Edta Added As A Preservative
45
Palm Kernel
46
Coconut Palm
47
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
48
Cocoa Powder
49
Whey Powder
50
Vanillin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
51
Butter
52
Pasteurized Cream
53
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, enriched wheat flour bleached (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), cocoa processed with alkali soybean oil leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate monocalcium phosphate, aluminum sulfate), food starch-modified, propylene glycol mono & diesters of fatty acids, mono & diglycerides with bht & citric acid as preservatives dextrose, salt, sorbitan monostearate nonfat milk solids, caramel color, soy lecithin, propylene glycol, xanthan gum, cellulose gum, polysorbate 60, water, natural and artificial flavor, corn syrup, polysorbate 80, glycerin, wheat starch, culfites, silicon dioxide, citric acid, cream cheese (pasteurized milk, cream cheese culture, carob bean gum), whole eggs, margarine (partially hydrogenated soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, salt, mono-and diglycerides, colored with annato/turmeric, calcium edta added as a preservative (palm kernel, coconut palm), cocoa processed with alkali, cocoa powder, whey powder, vanillin, butter (pasteurized cream, lactic acid)

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Cakes

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