Caution

Unicorn Cupcakes

by Tesco

Open Food Facts label for barcode 5057753653941 · Tesco · Snacks. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 5057753653941 · Serving size As sold One cupcake (63g)

The verdict

Unicorn Cupcakes by Tesco scores 85/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 51 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 51-component record, beginning with Blue Vanilla Frosting, Icing Sugar, Rapeseed Oil. 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.

85/100
Caution safety score
1
One flagged · of 51 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
E
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.

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

50/100

Grade C-

Ingredient Safety

85/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

E

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.

53653941 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Unicorn Cupcakes label screening desk

SCORE-CAUT 85/100 FLAG-ONE 1 flagged LEN-DENSE 51 ing. REG-SPARSE 29% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-E Nutri-E RANK-SHORT Len top 4% LEAD-FLAG Titanium Dioxide PHOTO-FINISH German Brand Sausage · ±0 BOOK-OFF …653941 · July 2026

15 of 51 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Titanium Dioxide). Source sheet 53653941 · 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: German Brand Sausage · Nearest score peer is German Brand Sausage 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 second band of the four-tier framework. That band collects labels whose registry-rated components pull the derived score down measurably without dominating it. Position inside a band is not visible from the band name, and two labels sharing it can differ in how many components were rated and how severely. This is a threshold on an index computed here from public data, not a regulatory classification of any kind; the exact cut-offs are published on the methodology page.

Nutri-Score assigned its lowest band to this label. The algorithm reserves that grade for nutrition panels where the values it penalises sit well above the components it credits. The two systems on this page measure genuinely different things: a product can hold this grade while carrying no additive flagged by the registries screened below, and a product graded well can carry several. Neither reading substitutes for the other, and the per-component table is where the additive picture is set out.

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. Unicorn Cupcakes: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. Unicorn Cupcakes85/1002. German Brand Sausage: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. German Brand Sausage85/1003. German Brand Fully Cooked Sausage, German Brand: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. German Brand Fully Cooked…85/1004. Bacon bleu wedge chopped salad: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Bacon bleu wedge chopped …85/1005. Grilled Chicken Caesar: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Grilled Chicken Caesar85/100
High-band neighbours for Unicorn Cupcakes (85/100) outside Tesco.
Chart values as text

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

Unicorn Cupcakes
85/100
German Brand Sausage
85/100
German Brand Fully Cooked Sausage, German Brand
85/100
Bacon bleu wedge chopped salad
85/100
Grilled Chicken Caesar
85/100

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 88,006 products we've scored in the Snacks category, the average safety score is 86.1/100. Unicorn Cupcakes scores 1.1 points below that category average (85/100 vs. 86.1/100), so it is roughly typical for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient-list length vs other Snacks products

Unicorn Cupcakes lists 51 ingredients on its label

51 96th percentile a longer ingredient list than 96% of the 81,477 products we track

0–2: 275 products (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 2,901 products (4%). Below this entry. 4–6: 4,248 products (5%). Below this entry. 6–8: 5,408 products (7%). Below this entry. 8–10: 5,486 products (7%). Below this entry. 10–12: 5,840 products (7%). Below this entry. 12–14: 6,252 products (8%). Below this entry. 14–16: 6,724 products (8%). Below this entry. 16–18: 6,221 products (8%). Below this entry. 18–20: 5,168 products (6%). Below this entry. 20–22: 4,508 products (6%). Below this entry. 22–24: 3,809 products (5%). Below this entry. 24–26: 3,567 products (4%). Below this entry. 26–28: 2,829 products (3%). Below this entry. 28–30: 2,282 products (3%). Below this entry. 30–32: 1,905 products (2%). Below this entry. 32–34: 1,715 products (2%). Below this entry. 34–36: 1,572 products (2%). Below this entry. 36–38: 1,417 products (2%). Below this entry. 38–40: 1,284 products (2%). Below this entry. 40–42: 8,066 products (10%). This entry sits in this band. This product 0 42 every published Snacks 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

81,477 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 51 (96th percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
275 products (0%)
2–4
2,901 products (4%)
4–6
4,248 products (5%)
6–8
5,408 products (7%)
8–10
5,486 products (7%)
10–12
5,840 products (7%)
12–14
6,252 products (8%)
14–16
6,724 products (8%)
16–18
6,221 products (8%)
18–20
5,168 products (6%)
20–22
4,508 products (6%)
22–24
3,809 products (5%)
24–26
3,567 products (4%)
26–28
2,829 products (3%)
28–30
2,282 products (3%)
30–32
1,905 products (2%)
32–34
1,715 products (2%)
34–36
1,572 products (2%)
36–38
1,417 products (2%)
38–40
1,284 products (2%)
40 and above
8,066 products (10%)

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. The comparison here runs against the 81,477 Snacks products we publish with a parsed label, not against the whole catalogue, because list length varies far more between categories than within one.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

How the 85/100 score is built

Screening starts at 100 and subtracts severity-weighted FDA SAFFA / CSPI flags (1 flagged of 51 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Blue Vanilla Frosting
2
Icing Sugar
3
Rapeseed Oil
4
Palm Oil
5
Margarine
6
Water
7
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
8
Emulsifier
9
Mono - And Di-glycerides Of Fatty Acids
10
Flavouring
11
Colours E129
12
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
13
Curcumin
14
Invert Sugar Syrup
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
15
Spirulina Concentrate
16
Apple Concentrate
17
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
18
Pink Vanilla Frosting
19
Colour
20
Beetroot Red
21
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
22
Wheat Flour
23
Calcium Carbonate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
24
Iron
25
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
26
Thiamin
27
Pasteurised Egg
28
Modified Maize Starch
29
Silver Horn Decoration
30
Glucose Syrup
31
Emulsifiers
32
Acacia Gum
33
Stabilisers
34
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
35
Titanium Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TRACER
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
36
Iron Oxide
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Color Additive
37
Glazing Agents
38
Shellac
39
Whey Powder
40
Milk
41
Raising Agents
42
Potassium Bicarbonate
FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
43
Disodium Diphosphate
44
Calcium Phosphate
45
Preservatives
46
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
47
Calcium Propionate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT
Safe GRAS
48
Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Approved
49
Modified Maize Starch
50
Acidity Regulator
51
Potassium Hydroxide
FORMULATION AID, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, WASHING OR SURFACE REMOVAL AGENT
GRAS

Full Ingredient List

Blue Vanilla Frosting (24%) [Icing Sugar, Rapeseed Oil, Palm Oil, Margarine [Palm Oil, Water, Salt, Emulsifier (Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Flavouring, Colours (Annatto, Curcumin)], Water, Invert Sugar Syrup, Spirulina Concentrate, Apple Concentrate, Citric Acid, Flavouring], Pink Vanilla Frosting (24%) [Icing Sugar, Rapeseed Oil, Palm Oil, Margarine [Palm Oil, Water, Salt, Emulsifier (Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Flavouring, Colours (Annatto, Curcumin)], Water, Colour (Beetroot Red), Flavouring], Sugar, Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Pasteurised Egg, Rapeseed Oil, Modified Maize Starch, Silver Horn Decoration [Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Palm Oil, Water, Emulsifiers (Acacia Gum, Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Stabilisers (Xanthan Gum), Colours (Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide), Glazing Agents (Shellac)], Whey Powder (Milk), Raising Agents (Potassium Bicarbonate, Disodium Diphosphate, Calcium Phosphate), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Calcium Propionate), Emulsifiers (Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids, Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Maize Starch, Flavouring, Acidity Regulator (Potassium Hydroxide)

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Biscuits and cakes Cakes

High-score cross-brand comparables for Unicorn Cupcakes

Neighbours outside Tesco with screening scores in the same high band as Unicorn Cupcakes (85/100 here). The 5 same-brand links above stay within Tesco; these peers cross brands.

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Titanium Dioxide is the first flagged ingredient selected from Unicorn Cupcakes's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 51-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Titanium Dioxide. Open Titanium Dioxide
  • Compare Unicorn Cupcakes's 1 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 5057753653941: 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.