Huel Essential Vanilla Flavor

by Huel

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Huel Essential Vanilla Flavor by Huel 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.

Barcode
5060925290455
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
2 scoops (100 g)

What the Data Says About

Huel Essential Vanilla Flavor by Huel 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, Huel Essential Vanilla Flavor 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 Huel Essential Vanilla Flavor
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

1
Oat Flour
2
Pea Protein
3
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
4
Ground Flaxseed
5
Natural Flavors
6
Potassium Citrate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
7
Organic Brown Rice Protein
8
Potassium Chloride
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
9
Sunflower Oil Powder
10
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
11
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
12
Corn Starch
13
Sodium Chloride
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
14
Sucralose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
15
L-ascorbic Acid
16
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
17
Dl-alpha-tocopheryl Acetate
18
Retinyl Acetate
19
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
20
Ergocalciferol
21
Calcium-d-pantothenate
22
Folate
23
Potassium Iodide
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, TRACER
GRAS
24
Cyanocobalamin
25
Phylloquinone
26
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
27
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS

Full Ingredient List

Oat Flour, Pea Protein, Tapioca Starch, Ground Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Potassium Citrate, Brown Rice Protein, Potassium Chloride, Sunflower Oil Powder, Xanthan Gum, Calcium Carbonate, Corn Starch, Sodium Chloride, Sucralose, L-Ascorbic Acid, Maltodextrin, DL-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Acetate, Niacinamide, Ergocalciferol, Calcium-D-Pantothenate, Folate, Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin, Phylloquinone, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin

Categories

Meals Meal replacements Low calorie meal replacement

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