Caramel Apple Mini Cakes

by Kirkland

90
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Caramel Apple Mini Cakes by Kirkland receives a safety score of 90/100 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
17671255
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

Caramel Apple Mini Cakes by Kirkland carries a composite safety score of 90/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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, Caramel Apple Mini 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Caramel Apple Mini Cakes
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 90/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 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.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Caramel Cake
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Bleached Enriched Flour
4
Wheat Flour
5
Vitamins
6
B3
7
B1
8
B2
9
Iron
10
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
11
Water
12
Soybean Oil
13
Shortening
14
Palm Oil
15
Propylene Glycol
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
16
Monoesters
17
Mono & Diglycerides
18
Soy Lecithin
19
Caramel Paste
20
Corn Syrup Solids
21
Natural Flavor
22
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
23
Agar Gum
24
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
25
Vanilla Extract
26
Egg Whites
27
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
28
Corn Starch
29
Leavening
30
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
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
Natural & Artificial Flavors
34
Emulsifiers
35
Esters Of Fatty Acids
36
Distilled Monoglycerides
37
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
38
Polysorbate 80
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
39
Egg Yolks
40
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
41
Nonfat Milk
42
Dicalcium Phosphate
43
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
44
Locust Bean Gum
45
Guar Gum
46
Apple Filling
47
Apples
48
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
49
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
50
Spices
51
Preservatives
52
Sodium Benzoate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
53
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
54
Sweetened Condensed Milk
55
Milk
56
Butter
57
Cream
58
Caramel Drizzle
59
Glucose Syrup
60
Sweetened Condensed Nonfat Dry Milk
61
Cocoa Butter
62
Acacia Gum
63
Artificial Flavors
64
Sunflower Lecithin
65
Preservative

Full Ingredient List

CARAMEL CAKE (SUGAR, BLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR, (WHEAT FLOUR, VITAMINS (B3, B1, B2), IRON, FOLIC ACID), WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, SHORTENING (PALM OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, MONOESTERS, MONO & DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN), CARAMEL PASTE (SUGAR, WATER, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVOR, CARAMEL COLOR, AGAR GUM, SALT, VANILLA EXTRACT), EGG WHITES, DEXTROSE, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, LEAVENING (SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, EMULSIFIERS (PROPYLENE GLYCOL, ESTERS OF FATTY ACIDS, DISTILLED MONOGLYCERIDES, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, SOY LECITHIN, POLYSORBATE 80), EGG YOLKS, SALT, CELLULOSE, NONFAT MILK, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, XANTHAN GUM, LOCUST BEAN GUM, GUAR GUM), APPLE FILLING (APPLES, WATER, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CITRIC ACID, SALT, SPICES, PRESERVATIVES (SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE)), SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK (MILK, SUGAR, BUTTER (CREAM, MILK, SALT), CARAMEL DRIZZLE (GLUCOSE SYRUP, SWEETENED CONDENSED NONFAT DRY MILK, SUGAR, WATER, COCOA BUTTER, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CARAMEL COLOR, ACACIA GUM, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, MONO & DIGLYCERIDES, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, SALT, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE), SOYBEAN OIL, VANILLA 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