Hostess, ho hos, chocolate cake rolled with peppermint creamy filling

by Hostess

75
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Hostess, ho hos, chocolate cake rolled with peppermint creamy filling by Hostess receives a safety score of 75/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient 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
0888109111113
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3 CAKES (85 g)

What the Data Says About

Hostess, ho hos, chocolate cake rolled with peppermint creamy filling by Hostess carries a composite safety score of 75/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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 1 flagged ingredient 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, Hostess, ho hos, chocolate cake rolled with peppermint 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 Hostess, ho hos, chocolate cake rolled with peppermint creamy filling
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 75/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 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 Kernel
4
Coconut And Palm
5
Cocoa Powder
6
Distilled Monoglycerides
7
Soy Lecithin
8
Whey Powder
9
Natural And Artificial Flavor
10
Bleached Enriched Wheat Flour
11
Wheat Flour
12
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
13
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
14
Iron
15
Thiamin Mononitrate
16
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
17
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
18
Palm Oil
19
Water
20
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
21
Eggs
22
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
23
Dairy Blend
24
Soy Flour
25
Calcium And Sodium Caseinate
26
Soy Protein Isolate
27
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
28
Baking Soda
29
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
30
To Retain Freshness
31
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
32
Monocalcium Phosphate
33
Enzymes
34
Artificial Flavor
35
Organic Invert Syrup
36
Or Less: Whey
37
Mono And Diglycerides
38
Sodium Stearate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, PROPELLANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Prior Sanctioned
39
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
40
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
41
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
42
Peppermint Extract

Full Ingredient List

Sugar, partially hydrogenated oils (palm kernel, coconut and palm), cocoa powder (processed with alkali), distilled monoglycerides, soy lecithin, whey powder, natural and artificial flavor, bleached enriched wheat flour [wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], palm oil, water, corn syrup, eggs, whey protein concentrate, dairy blend (soy flour, calcium and sodium caseinate, soy protein isolate), salt, baking soda, sorbic acid (to retain freshness), sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate, enzymes, artificial flavor, invert syrup, contains 2% or less: whey, mono and diglycerides, sodium stearate, glycerin, soy flour, modified whey, red 40, peppermint extract.

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