Thorntons Easter Caramel Shortcake Bites
Contains 1 flagged ingredient
Thorntons Easter Caramel Shortcake Bites receives a safety score of 85/100 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.
What the Data Says About
Thorntons Easter Caramel Shortcake Bites carries a composite safety score of 85/100, 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, Thorntons Easter Caramel Shortcake Bites 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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 85/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 1 | 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
Full Ingredient List
Caramel (47%) [Sweetened Condensed Milk (Whole Milk, Sugar), Partially Inverted Sugar Syrup, Toffee Sauce (Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Sweetened Condensed Milk (Whole Milk, Sugar), Double Cream (Milk), Butter (Milk), Water, Modified Maize Starch, Invert Sugar Syrup, Humectant (Sorbitol), Salt, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate)), Palm Oil, Butter (Milk), Palm Kernel Oil, Dried Whey (Milk), Rapeseed Oil, Water, Flavouring, Palm Stearin, Emulsifier (Mono and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Salt], Biscuit Base (38%) [Palm Oil, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Sugar, Water, Palm Kernel Oil, Oat Flour, Coconut Oil, Partially Inverted Sugar Syrup, Raising Agents (Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate, E503), Salt, Rapeseed Oil], Milk Chocolate (15%) [Sugar, Dried Whole Milk, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Milk Fat, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin)], Edible Transfer [Sugar, Colour (Titanium Dioxide), Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin)]
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.
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