Pepero

by Lotte

100
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Pepero by Lotte receives a safety score of 100/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. None of the ingredients in this product are flagged for safety concerns by FDA or CSPI databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
8801062880881
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 pack (35 g)

What the Data Says About

Pepero by Lotte carries a composite safety score of 100/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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 did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.

On the NOVA processing scale, Pepero 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 E 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

Composite safety metrics for Pepero
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 100/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 0 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score E OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Semi-chocolate |
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Vegetable Oil I
4
Palm Oil
5
Sunflower Oil
6
Soy Lecithin
7
D-tocopherol Conecntrate
8
Cocoa Preparation
9
Whole Milk Powder
10
Cocoa Mass
11
Lactose
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
12
Vegetable Oil Ii
13
D-tocopherol Concentrate
14
Cocoa Butter
15
Almond Powder
16
Sucrose Esters Of Fatty Acids
17
Glycerin Esters Of Fatty Acids
18
Artificial Flavor
19
Wheat Flour
20
Semi-chocolate Ii
21
Vegetable Oil 1
22
Organic Peanut Powder
23
Grain Product
24
Corn Starch
25
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
26
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
27
Ammonium Bicarbonate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
28
Or Less Of: Shortening
29
Water
30
Milk Cream
31
Coconut Oil
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Listed
32
Malt Extract
33
Acidity Regulators
34
Sodium Phosphate Tribasic
35
Whey Powder
36
Butter Milk
37
Sodium Caseinate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
38
Potassium Phosphate Dibasic
39
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
40
Artificial Flavors
41
Enzyme Preparations
42
Glycerin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
43
Papaya Extract
44
Sodium Metabisulfite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FREEZING OR COOLING AGENT, DIRECT CONTACT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT
GRAS
45
Yeast

Full Ingredient List

Semi-Chocolate | [Sugar, Vegetable oil I (Palm oil, Sunflower oil, Soy lecithin, d-Tocopherol conecntrate), Cocoa preparation (Whole milk powder, Cocoa mass), Cocoa mass, Lactose, Vegetable oil II (Sunflower oil, Palm oil, Soy lecithin, d-Tocopherol concentrate), Cocoa butter, Almond powder, Soy lecithin, Sucrose esters of fatty acids, Glycerin esters of fatty acids, Artificial flavor], Wheat flour, Semi-Chocolate II [Sugar, Cocoa preparation (Whole milk powder, Cocoa mass), Vegetable oil 1 (Palm oil, Sunflower oil, Soy lecithin, d-Tocopherol concentrate), Cocoa mass, Lactose, Vegetable oil II (Sunflower oil, Palm oil, Soy lecithin, d-Tocopherol concentrate), Cocoa butter, Almond powder, Soy lecithin, Sucrose esters of fatty acids, Glycerin esters of fatty acids, Artificial flavor, Peanut powder), Grain product (Wheat flour, Corn starch, Salt, Sodium bicarbonate, Ammonium Bicarbonate), Sugar, Contains 2% or less of: Shortening (Palm oil, d-Tocopherol concentrate), Processed condensed milk (Water, Sugar, Whole milk powder, Lactose), Processed butter (Milk cream, Coconut oil), Corn starch, Malt extract, Acidity regulators (Ammonium bicarbonate, Sodium phosphate tribasic, Sodium bicarbonate), Processed whole milk powder (Whey powder, Lactose, Butter milk, Palm oil, Milk cream, Sodium caseinate, Potassium phosphate dibasic, Glycerin esters of fatty acids, Artificial flavor), Salt, High fructose corn syrup, Artificial flavors, Enzyme preparations (Glycerin, Water, Papaya extract, Sodium metabisulfite), Yeast

Categories

Chocolate-covered-sticks

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