Concern

Cereal

Scores 50/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis , with 2 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 6070600275836

The verdict

Cereal scores 50/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 39 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 2 ingredients are flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 39-component record, beginning with Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Corn Meal. 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.

50/100
Concern safety score
2
flagged ingredients of 39 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
6070600275836
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

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 Cereal

Cereal carries a composite safety score of 50/100, which we classify as "Concern" on our four-tier shelf-label framework.

Of the 39 ingredients parsed from this label, 14 are covered by a regulator or watchdog we screen against (Vitamin A, Sodium Ascorbate, Gelatin and 11 others), with 12 carrying an FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) status and 7 a CSPI Chemical Cuisine rating. The remaining 25 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 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, Cereal 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 Cereal
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 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.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 78,450 products we've scored in the Plant-based foods and beverages category, the average safety score is 97.7/100. Cereal scores 47.7 points below that category average (50/100 vs. 97.7/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Whole Grain Corn
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Corn Meal
4
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
5
Canola Oil
6
Sunflower Oil
7
Corn Starch
8
Cocoa Processed With Alkali
9
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
10
And Yellow 5 & 6
11
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
12
And Other Color Added
13
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
14
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
Natural And Artificial Flavor
16
Gelatin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
17
Trisodium Phosphate
18
Rosemary Extract
19
Vitamins And Minerals
20
Tricalcium Phosphate
21
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
22
Vitamin C
23
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
24
Iron And Zinc
25
Mineral Nutrients
26
Ab Vitamin
27
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
28
Vitamin E
29
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
30
Vitamin B1
31
Thiamin Mononitrate
32
Vitamin A
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
33
Palmitate
34
Vitamin B2
35
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
36
B Vitamin
37
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
38
Vitamin B12
39
Vitamin D3

Full Ingredient List

whole grain corn, sugar, corn meal, corn syrup, canola oil, sunflower oil, modified corn starch, cocoa processed with alkali, red 40, yellow 5 & 6, blue 1, other color added, dextrose, salt, natural and artificial flavor, gelatin, trisodium phosphate, rosemary extract, vitamins and minerals (tricalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, vitamin c (sodium ascorbate), iron and zinc (mineral nutrients), ab vitamin (niacinamide), vitamin e (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin b1 (thiamin mononitrate), vitamin a (palmitate), vitamin b2 (riboflavin), a b vitamin (folic acid), vitamin b12, vitamin d3).

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Breakfasts Cereals and potatoes Cereals and their products Breakfast cereals

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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

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.

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