Tea cakes

55
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Tea cakes receives a safety score of 55/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 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
0810509008571
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 TEA CAKE (28 g)

What the Data Says About

Tea cakes carries a composite safety score of 55/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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 3 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, Tea cakes 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 Tea cakes
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 55/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 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
Cake Base
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Enriched Wheat Flour Bleached
4
Flour
5
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Reduced Iron
7
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
8
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
10
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
11
Food Starch-modified
12
Soybean Oil
13
Dry Whey
14
Leavening
15
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate
16
Baking Soda
17
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
18
Vital Wheat Gluten
19
Propylene Glycol Mono & Diesters Of Fatty Acids
20
Mono & Diglycerides
21
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
22
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
23
Corn Starch
24
Tricalcium Phosphate
25
Natural And Artificial Flavor
26
Water
27
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
28
Alpha Tocopherol
29
As Preservative
30
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
31
Dough Conditioner
32
Egg
33
Soy Flour
34
White Confectionary
35
Vegetable Oil
36
Palm Kernel Oil And Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
37
Whey Powder
38
Whole Milk Solids
39
Nonfat Dry Milk Solids
40
Soy Lecithin
41
An Emulsifier
42
Natural And Artificial Flavor
43
Soy Oil
44
Whole Eggs
45
Strawberry Flakes
46
Palm
47
Palm Kernel
48
Wheat Flour
49
Maltic Acid
50
Sodium Citrate
51
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
52
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
53
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
54
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
55
Vinegar
56
Artificial Colors
57
Palm Kernel Oil
58
Fd&c Red 40 Lake
59
Fd&c Blue 2 Lake
60
Lecithin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
61
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
62
Preservative
63
Enzyme
64
Wheat Flour And 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Salt
65
Enzymes

Full Ingredient List

Cake base (sugar, enriched wheat flour bleached [flour, niacin, reduced iron, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], food starch-modified, soybean oil, dry whey, leavening [sodium aluminum phosphate, baking soda], salt, vital wheat gluten, propylene glycol mono & diesters of fatty acids, mono & diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate, dextrose, corn starch, tricalcium phosphate, natural and artificial flavor, water, citric acid, alpha tocopherol [as preservative], ascorbic acid [dough conditioner], egg, soy flour), white confectionary (sugar, vegetable oil [palm kernel oil and hydrogenated palm kernel oil], whey powder, whole milk solids, nonfat dry milk solids, soy lecithin [an emulsifier], salt, and artificial flavor), soy oil, water, whole eggs, strawberry flakes (sugar,vegetable oil [palm, palm kernel], wheat flour, maltic acid, natural and artificial flavor, tricalcium phosphate, sodium citrate, caramel color, red 40 lake, soy lecithin, blue 2 lake), corn syrup, natural and artificial flavor, vinegar, artificial colors (palm kernel oil, fd&c red 40 lake, fd&c blue 2 lake, lecithin), potassium sorbate (preservative), enzyme (wheat flour and 2% or less of each of the following: salt, enzymes).

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