Spoon Scout

Little Debbie 12 Sandwich Cookies, Oatmeal Creme Pies

McKee Foods Corporation · Cookies & Biscuits · barcode 00024300041013

What stands out

  • From the label

    The ingredients list Titanium dioxide, Red No. 40 (Allura Red), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) and Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), which have stricter rules elsewhere. Strictest: Not allowed in the EU since 2022; West Virginia ban from 2028. Details

  • Lab testsNo lab has published results for this exact product.
  • RecallsNo FDA recall lists this barcode.
  • Additives4 ingredients have stricter rules elsewhere. Strictest: Not allowed in the EU since 2022; West Virginia ban from 2028. Which
  • TypicalFDA's tests of cookies & biscuits show what's typical. See levels

Additives with restrictions somewhere

From the ingredient list on file (label data dated 2023-11-16). Recipes change, so check the package you have.

Rules that apply to more than one of these

  • US (FDA): Allowed Source. Applies to Titanium dioxide, Red No. 40 (Allura Red), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue).
  • Texas: Warning label required from 2027-01-01 Labels developed on or after January 1, 2027 must warn that the product contains an ingredient not recommended for consumption in Australia, Canada, the EU or the UK. (SB 25 (2025)) Source. Applies to all of them.
  • EU: Allowed with warning label (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex V) Source. Applies to Red No. 40 (Allura Red), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine).
  • California: Banned in school meals from 2027-12-31 Banned in food and drinks offered in California public schools from December 31, 2027. (AB 2316 (2024)) Source. Applies to Red No. 40 (Allura Red), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue).
  • West Virginia: Banned from 2028-01-01 Food containing it is treated as adulterated in West Virginia from January 1, 2028. (HB 2354 (2025)) Source. Applies to Red No. 40 (Allura Red), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue).
  • West Virginia: Banned in school meals from 2025-08-01 Banned in West Virginia school meals since August 1, 2025. (HB 2354 (2025)) Source. Applies to Red No. 40 (Allura Red), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue).
  • Louisiana: Banned in school meals from 2028-2029 school year Banned in Louisiana school food from the 2028-2029 school year (concession stands and vending machines exempt). (SB 14, Act 463 (2025)) Source. Applies to Red No. 40 (Allura Red), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue).
  • Louisiana: Warning label required from 2028-01-01 Products containing it must carry a QR code disclosure from January 1, 2028. (SB 14, Act 463 (2025)) Source. Applies to Red No. 40 (Allura Red), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Bleached flour.
  • EU: Allowed (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008) Source. Applies to Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), DATEM.
  • US (FDA): Allowed Source. Applies to Bleached flour, DATEM.

Titanium dioxide (E171)

  • EU: Removed from approved list from 2022-08-07 Removed as a food additive in 2022; food made under the old rules could be sold until August 7, 2022. (Regulation (EU) 2022/63) Source

Red No. 40 (Allura Red) (E129)

Only the shared rules above.

Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) (E102)

Only the shared rules above.

Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue) (E133)

Only the shared rules above.

Bleached flour

Only the shared rules above.

DATEM (E472e)

Only the shared rules above.

Typical for cookies & biscuits

What FDA found when it bought and tested this kind of food across the US. These are not tests of this product.

FDA samples behind these numbers
  • Lead in Cookies, chocolate chip: found in 3 of 3 samples, average 7.57, highest 10 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Lead in Cookies, sandwich, with crème filling: found in 3 of 3 samples, average 13.4, highest 24 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Lead in Cookies, sugar: found in 0 of 3 samples, all below 4 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Cadmium in Cookies, chocolate chip: found in 3 of 3 samples, average 48.3, highest 68 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Cadmium in Cookies, sandwich, with crème filling: found in 3 of 3 samples, average 18.3, highest 25 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Cadmium in Cookies, sugar: found in 3 of 3 samples, average 15.7, highest 18 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Mercury in Cookies, chocolate chip: found in 1 of 3 samples, average 0.57, highest 1.7 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Mercury in Cookies, sandwich, with crème filling: found in 1 of 3 samples, average 0.53, highest 1.6 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Mercury in Cookies, sugar: found in 0 of 3 samples, all below 1 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Arsenic (total) in Cookies, chocolate chip: found in 2 of 3 samples, average 3.43, highest 5.2 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Arsenic (total) in Cookies, sandwich, with crème filling: found in 3 of 3 samples, average 5.6, highest 7.2 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Arsenic (total) in Cookies, sugar: found in 0 of 3 samples, all below 3 ppb (2018-2020)
  • Perchlorate in Chocolate chip cookies: found in 6 of 20 samples, average 0.53, highest 3 ppb (2008-2012)
  • Perchlorate in Sandwich cookies w/ creme filling: found in 5 of 20 samples, average 0.6, highest 3 ppb (2008-2012)
  • Perchlorate in Sugar cookies: found in 13 of 19 samples, average 3.07, highest 15.4 ppb (2008-2012)

"Typically" is FDA's middle sample. Daily amounts use the long-run average and each chemical's daily limit (EPA reference dose, or FDA's level for lead) for a 33-lb toddler and a 154-lb adult. ppb = micrograms per kilogram of food. Source: FDA Total Diet Study.

Not tested

No published results for this product cover: Metals, Perchlorate, Phthalates (plastic softeners), Phthalate substitutes, Bisphenols. That means nobody has published a test, not that these are absent.

Ingredients (from the label)

CORN SYRUP, ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, BARLEY MALT, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), PALM AND SOYBEAN OILS WITH TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID TO PROTECT FLAVOR, SUGAR, WHOLE GRAIN OATS, WATER, DEXTROSE, MOLASSES, RAISINS. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SOY FLOUR, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, AMMONIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE), WHEY, SALT, SOY LECITHIN, CORN STARCH, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, POLYSORBATE 60, EGGS, PALM AND PALM KERNEL OIL, EGG WHITES, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, RICE FLOUR, NONFAT DRY MILK, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, DATEM, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, CARRAGEENAN, COLORS (CARAMEL COLOR, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, RED 40, BETA CAROTENE, ANNATTO EXTRACT, TURMERIC, YELLOW 5, BLUE 1), SORBIC ACID (TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), SPICES, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, MALIC ACID, PROPYLENE GLYCOL MONOSTEARATE, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, POLYSORBATE 80, PECTIN, SODIUM CITRATE, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, CHOCOLATE, COCOA BUTTER.

From USDA FoodData Central, label dated 2023-11-16. Labels change; check the package.

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