Chocolate covered sponge cake with creamy filling

by Hostess

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Chocolate covered sponge cake with creamy filling by Hostess receives a safety score of 50/100 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
0888109110499
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 CAKE (41 g)

What the Data Says About

Chocolate covered sponge cake with creamy filling by Hostess carries a composite safety score of 50/100, 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 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 covered sponge cake with creamy filling 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 covered sponge cake with creamy filling
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 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
Partially Hydrogenated Oils
3
Palm
4
Kernel
5
Organic Coconut
6
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
7
Distilled Monoglycerides
8
Soy Lecithin
9
Whey
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FORMULATION AID, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
10
Natural And Artificial Flavor
11
Water
12
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour
13
Flour
14
Reduced Iron
15
"B" Vitamins
16
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
17
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
18
B1
19
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
20
B2
21
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
22
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
23
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
24
Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable
25
Animal Shortening
26
Soybean
27
Cottonseed
28
Canola Oil
29
Beef Fat
30
Mono And Diglycerides
31
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
32
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
33
Or Less Of: Dried Whole Eggs
34
Corn Starch
35
Glucose
36
Leavening
37
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
38
Baking Soda
39
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
40
Monocalcium Phosphate
41
. Glycerine
42
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
43
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
44
Calcium Sulfate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
45
Enzymes
46
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
47
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
48
And Wheat Flour

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, partially hydrogenated oils (palm, kernel, coconut, palm), cocoa processed with alkali, distilled monoglycerides, soy lecithin, whey, natural and artificial flavor, water, enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, reduced iron, "b" vitamins [niacin, thiamine mononitrate (b1), riboflavin (b2), folic acid), sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated vegetable and/or animal shortening (soybean, cottonseed and/or canola oil, beef fat), mono and diglycerides, polysorbate 60, dextrose, contains 2% or less of: dried whole eggs, sugar, modified corn starch, glucose, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate). glycerine, salt, sorbic acid, calcium sulfate, enzymes, yellow 5, red 40, and wheat flour.

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