Avoid

Twinkies

by Hostess

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0888109114978 · Hostess. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0888109114978

The verdict

Twinkies by Hostess scores 35/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 48 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 3 ingredients are flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 48-component record, beginning with Sugar, Water, Enriched Flour. That density can include amounts and label fragments, so verify the physical label before relying on ingredient order or completeness. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination.

35/100
Avoid safety score
3
Few flagged · of 48 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0888109114978
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.

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

27/100

Grade F

Ingredient Safety

35/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

N/A

Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition grade

Weighted 50% ingredient safety / 25% processing level / 25% nutrition grade. A dimension with no data for this product (common: source coverage is partial) is dropped and its weight redistributes across the remaining dimensions, so missing data never silently lowers the score. See the full benchmark table.

09114978 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Twinkies label screening desk

SCORE-AVOID 35/100 FLAG-FEW 3 flagged LEN-DENSE 48 ing. REG-PART 33% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-UNK Nutri n/a RANK-SHORT Len top 4% LEAD-FLAG Blue 2 PHOTO-FINISH Freeze-dried Mint Chocolate · ±0 BOOK-OFF …114978 · July 2026

16 of 48 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Blue 2). Source sheet 09114978 · Open Food Facts · July 2026. The screening score and flag counts are in the verdict band above. This desk is the provenance stamp, not a second scorecard. Methodology · Read with nearest score peer: Freeze-dried Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich · Nearest score peer is Freeze-dried Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich at the same screening score.

Screening model notes

How Nutri-Score, NOVA, and list length read this record

The composite for this product falls in the lowest of the four bands. That is where labels land when registry-rated components drive the greater part of the deduction from the index. The band name is drawn from the framework's own scale and is distinct from the ratings the registries themselves assign to individual substances, which are shown per component below. A single heavily rated component and several lightly rated ones can produce the same band, so the component table is the more precise reading of the two.

No Nutri-Score grade is present for this record in the OpenFoodFacts snapshot this page is built from. The nutritional dimension is absent rather than assessed and withheld: the grade depends on a complete declared nutrition panel, and community-contributed records vary in how much of that panel they carry. Nothing about the missing grade implies anything either way about the panel itself. The screen below covers additive ratings only and does not depend on the nutrition figures.

The declared list is among the longer ones in this catalogue. A component set this wide means the screen returns many individual ratings, and the composite accumulates a large number of small contributions instead of turning on a handful of entries. At this length the per-component table below is substantially more informative than the single figure, because the figure compresses a great deal of variation into one number.

Cross-brand screening score neighbourhood

1. Twinkies: 35/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. Twinkies35/1002. Freeze-dried Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich: 35/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. Freeze-dried Mint Chocola…35/1003. Pastry Pocket: 35/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. Pastry Pocket35/1004. Red Hots Sausage: 35/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Red Hots Sausage35/1005. Pringles, potato crisps, milk chocolate, milk chocolate: 35/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Pringles, potato crisps, …35/100
Nearest cross-brand screening scores for Twinkies (35/100 on 48 parsed ingredients).
Chart values as text

Unit: PlainFoodSafe screening score out of 100. Data current as of July 2026.

Twinkies
35/100
Freeze-dried Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich
35/100
Pastry Pocket
35/100
Red Hots Sausage
35/100
Pringles, potato crisps, milk chocolate, milk chocolate
35/100

Ingredient-list length vs every product we publish

Twinkies lists 48 ingredients on its label

48 96th percentile a longer ingredient list than 96% of the 359,392 products we track

0–2: 6,050 products (2%). Below this entry. 2–4: 24,522 products (7%). Below this entry. 4–6: 31,054 products (9%). Below this entry. 6–8: 30,981 products (9%). Below this entry. 8–10: 31,618 products (9%). Below this entry. 10–12: 29,943 products (8%). Below this entry. 12–14: 28,403 products (8%). Below this entry. 14–16: 27,417 products (8%). Below this entry. 16–18: 24,508 products (7%). Below this entry. 18–20: 19,062 products (5%). Below this entry. 20–22: 14,679 products (4%). Below this entry. 22–24: 12,238 products (3%). Below this entry. 24–26: 10,830 products (3%). Below this entry. 26–28: 9,344 products (3%). Below this entry. 28–30: 7,955 products (2%). Below this entry. 30–32: 6,753 products (2%). Below this entry. 32–34: 5,918 products (2%). Below this entry. 34–36: 5,282 products (1%). Below this entry. 36–38: 4,531 products (1%). Below this entry. 38–40: 4,063 products (1%). Below this entry. 40–42: 24,241 products (7%). This entry sits in this band. This product 0 42 every published product, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Distribution as text

359,392 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 48 (96th percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
6,050 products (2%)
2–4
24,522 products (7%)
4–6
31,054 products (9%)
6–8
30,981 products (9%)
8–10
31,618 products (9%)
10–12
29,943 products (8%)
12–14
28,403 products (8%)
14–16
27,417 products (8%)
16–18
24,508 products (7%)
18–20
19,062 products (5%)
20–22
14,679 products (4%)
22–24
12,238 products (3%)
24–26
10,830 products (3%)
26–28
9,344 products (3%)
28–30
7,955 products (2%)
30–32
6,753 products (2%)
32–34
5,918 products (2%)
34–36
5,282 products (1%)
36–38
4,531 products (1%)
38–40
4,063 products (1%)
40 and above
24,241 products (7%)

Source Open Food Facts, product label ingredient lists · July 2026

Ingredient-list length is a descriptive property of the label, not a safety rating. A longer list is not automatically worse and a shorter one is not automatically better; the count is shown so the label can be placed against a comparable population. No category with enough published products was available for this record, so the comparison runs against the whole published catalogue.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

How the 35/100 score is built

Screening starts at 100 and subtracts severity-weighted FDA SAFFA / CSPI flags (3 flagged of 48 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
2
Water
3
Enriched Flour
4
Bleached Wheat Flour
5
Malted Barley Flour
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Ferrous Sulfate Or Reduced Iron
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
Tallow
12
High Fructose Corn Strawberry
13
Raspberry
14
Egg
15
Soybean Oil
16
Modified Food Starch
17
Tallow
18
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
19
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
20
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
21
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
22
Sodium Acid Facts Th Ner Kes
23
77g
24
Syrup
25
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
26
270 Pyrophosphate
27
Baking Soda
28
Enzymes
29
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
30
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
31
Cottonseed Oil
32
Natural And Artificial Flavors
33
Sorbic Acid And Potassium Sorbate
34
Mono And Diglycerides
35
Cellulose Lactylate
36
Soy Lecithin
37
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
38
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
39
Monocalcium Phosphate
40
Blueberry
41
Apple
42
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
43
Blackberry
44
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
45
Wheat
46
Milk
47
Sodium Stearoyl 13% 525813 17% M 45g 16% 4% Hostess Brands
48
Ks 66215 ©2020 Hostess Brands

Full Ingredient List

sugar, water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate or reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), tallow, high fructose corn strawberry, raspberry, egg, contains 2% or less: soybean oil, modified food starch, hydrogenated tallow, modified cornstarch, whey, glycerin, salt, sodium acid facts th ner kes (77g) syrup, dextrose, 270 pyrophosphate, baking soda, enzymes, cornstarch, red 40 , cottonseed oil, natural and artificial flavors, sorbic acid and potassium sorbate (to retain freshness), mono and diglycerides, cellulose lactylate, soy lecithin, xanthan gum, polysorbate 60, monocalcium phosphate, blueberry, apple, blue 2, blackberry, yellow 5, contains wheat, egg, milk, soy daily value* 12% 20% gum, sodium stearoyl 13% 525813 17% m 45g 16% 4% hostess brands, llc ugars 58% lenexa, ks 66215 ©2020 hostess brands , llc 0% 2% 6% 0% hostess

Other products containing 77g

77g is the least common ingredient on this label, appearing in 6 products across the catalog. See its safety profile.

Lower-score cross-brand comparables for Twinkies

Neighbours outside Hostess in the same lower screening band as Twinkies (35/100). The 5 same-brand links above stay within Hostess; these peers cross brands.

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Blue 2 is the first flagged ingredient selected from Twinkies's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 48-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Blue 2. Open Blue 2
  • Compare Twinkies's 3 flagged ingredients with a product from the same score neighbourhood. Compare labels
  • Check how caution flags contribute to the derived screening score before drawing a dietary conclusion. Read the method

This page describes published ingredient-list and source coverage. It is not dietary or medical advice.

Barcode 0888109114978: product data from Open Food Facts (July 2026). Screening from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine where attached. Figures are computed from those sources, not editor-typed. Methodology. Reference only, not dietary or medical advice.