Avoid

Italian Butter Cookies

by Carlo's Bake Shop

Scores 0/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 9 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0854950007004

The verdict

Italian Butter Cookies by Carlo's Bake Shop scores 0/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 89 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 9 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
9
flagged ingredients of 89 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0854950007004
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

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 Italian Butter Cookies

Italian Butter Cookies by Carlo's Bake Shop 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 9 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, Italian Butter Cookies 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 Italian Butter Cookies
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 9 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.

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. Italian Butter Cookies 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
Butter
2
Cream
3
Milk
4
All-purpose Flour
5
Enriched Bleached Flour
6
Wheat Flour
7
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Iron
9
Thiamin Mononitrate
10
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
11
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
12
Cake Flour
13
Bleached Wheat Flour
14
Wheat
15
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
16
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
17
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
18
Almond Paste
19
Almond
20
Cane Sugar
21
Water
22
Natural Andur N&a Flavor. Preserved With Potassium
23
Tree Nuts
24
Egg Whites
25
Guar Gum And Triethyl Citrate
26
Egg
27
Coarse Sugar
28
Raspberry Jain
29
Fruit
30
Raspberries
31
Apples
32
Glucose Syrup
33
Pectin
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
34
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
35
Sodium Citrate
36
Fruit Concentrate
37
Color
38
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
39
Natural Flavor
40
Fudge Base
41
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
42
Soybean Oil
43
Corn Syrup Solids
44
Palm Oil
45
Mono-and Diglycerides And 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Soy Lecithin
46
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
47
Chocolate Liquor
48
TBHQ
Preservative
Avoid Approved (preservative, 21 CFR 172.185)
49
Antioxidant
50
Artificial Flavor
51
Soybeans
52
Rainbow Nonpareils
53
Dextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Safe GRAS
54
Modified Apioca Starch
55
Glucose
56
Titanium Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TRACER
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
57
Glycerin Gum Arabic
58
Fd&c Colors: Red #40
59
Yellow #5
60
E Ue #1
61
Yellow #6 And Red #3
62
Magnesium Silica E And Carnauba Wax
63
Red Sanding Sugar
64
Confec Oner's Glaze
65
Carnauba Wax
66
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
67
Red 3
Avoid Banned (FDA revoked Jan 2025)
68
R D40
69
Apricot Jam
70
Gelling Agent:pectin
71
I Atural Flavor
72
Vegetable Extract
73
Green Sinding Sugar
74
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
75
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
76
Black Color
77
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
78
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
79
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
80
Green Nonpareils
81
Giverin
82
Red Nonpareils
83
Fd&c Colors Red #40 Magresium Silicate And Carnauba Wax
84
Yellow Prussia A Of Soda
85
White Nonpareils
86
Fd&c Colors Magn Sium Silicate And Carnauba Wax
87
Nat. Vanilla Fl Nonf
88
Ethyl Alcohol
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
89
Natural Almond Flavor

Full Ingredient List

Butter (Cream) (Milk), All-purpose Flour (Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Cake Flour (Bleached Wheat Flour, Folic Acid), (Wheat) Powdered Sugar (Sugar, Cornstarch), Almond Paste (Almond, Cane Sugar, Water, Natural Andur N&a Flavor. Preserved With Potassium) (Tree Nuts), Egg Whites (Egg Whites, Guar Gum And Triethyl Citrate) (Egg), Coarse Sugar, Raspberry Jain (Fruit (Raspberries, Apples), Glucose Syrup, Pectin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Fruit Concentrate, Color, Potassium Sorbate, Flavor), Fudge Base (Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Palm Oil, Mono-And Diglycerides And 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Soy Lecithin, Salt, Chocolate Liquor, Tbhq (Antioxidant), Artificial Flavor) (Soybeans), Rainbow Nonpareils (Dextrin, apioca Starch, Glucose, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin Gum Arabic, Fd&c Colors: Red #40, Yellow #5, E ue #1, Yellow #6 And Red #3, Magnesium Silica e And Carnauba Wax), Red Sanding Sugar (Confec oner's Glaze, Carnauba Wax, Red 40 Lake, Red 3, R d40), Apricot Jam (Fruit, Gelling Agent:pectin, I atural Flavor, Natural Vegetable Extract), Green Sinding Sugar (Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Black Color (Blue 1, Yellow 6, Yellow 5), Green Nonpareils (Giverin), Red Nonpareils (Fd&c Colors Red #40 Magresium Silicate And Carnauba Wax), Yellow Prussia a Of Soda, White Nonpareils (Fd&c Colors Magn sium Silicate And Carnauba Wax), Nat. Vanilla Fl Nonf (Ethyl Alcohol), Almond Flavor

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Biscuits and crackers Biscuits

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.

More from Carlo's Bake Shop

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.