Ube Boba Bar
by Imei
Scores 95/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis , with 1 flagged ingredient identified.
The verdict
Ube Boba Bar by Imei scores 95/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 37 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 1 ingredient is flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 37-component record, beginning with Water, Sugar, Maltose. 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.
- 95/100
- Safe safety score
- 1
- flagged ingredient of 37 analyzed
- Group 4
- Ultra-processed
- C
- Nutri-Score nutrition grade
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 Ube Boba Bar
Ube Boba Bar by Imei carries a composite safety score of 95/100, which we classify as "Safe" on our four-tier shelf-label framework.
Of the 37 ingredients parsed from this label, 10 are covered by a regulator or watchdog we screen against (Grape Skin Extract, Maltose, Sodium Hexametaphosphate and 7 others), with 9 carrying an FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) status and 4 a CSPI Chemical Cuisine rating. The remaining 27 ingredients appear in neither registry, so they neither raise nor lower the score. Each additive rated caution-or-worse penalizes the composite. 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 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, Ube Boba Bar 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 C 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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 95/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 1 | CSPI/FDA review |
| NOVA processing group | Group 4 | OpenFoodFacts |
| Nutri-Score | C | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
How It Compares to Its Category
Among the 24,982 products we've scored in the Frozen foods category, the average safety score is 92.9/100. Ube Boba Bar scores 2.1 points above that category average (95/100 vs. 92.9/100), so it is roughly typical for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
PRODUCT NAME: 1-MEI UBE BOBA ICE MILK BAR INGREDIENTS: WATER, SUGAR, MALTOSE, MILK POWDER, TARO, STABILIZERS (MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH (HYDROXYPROPYL DISTARCH PHOSPHATE), SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE, LOCUST BEAN GUM, GUAR GUM, SODIUM ALGINATE, CARRAGEENAN), CREAM, UBE (PURPLE YAM), COCONUT OIL, BROWN SUGAR, CORN STARCH TAPIOCA STARCH, RED BEET EXTRACT (RED BEE ONADGD COL0RING AGENT (GRAPE ŠKIN STARCH, TAPIOCA STARCH, RED BEET EXTRACT (RED BEET CONCENTRATE, MALTODEXTRIN, CITRIC ACID), ARTIFICIAL FLAVORINGS (UBE, TARO, VANILLA, COCONUT), COCOA POWDER, COLORING AGENT (GRAPE SKIN EXTRACT, MALTODEXTRIN), EMULSIFIER (MONO - AND DIGLYCERIDES OF FATTY ACIDS), SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, GLUCÓSE. *CONTAINS: MILK.
Other products containing Corn Starch Tapioca Starch
Corn Starch Tapioca Starch is the least common ingredient on this label, appearing in 5 products across the catalog. See its safety profile.
Categories
Data Sources
Data as of August 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.
Related
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 August 2026.
