Spoon Scout

Little Debbie Creme Filled Butterfly Cakes, Creme

McKee Foods Corporation · Cakes, Cupcakes, Snack Cakes · barcode 00024300044458

What stands out

  • From the label

    The ingredients list Titanium dioxide, Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Red No. 3 (erythrosine) and Red No. 40 (Allura Red), which have stricter rules elsewhere. Strictest: Not allowed in the EU since 2022; US (FDA) ban from 2027. Details

  • Lab testsNo lab has published results for this exact product.
  • RecallsNo FDA recall lists this barcode.
  • Additives5 ingredients have stricter rules elsewhere. Strictest: Not allowed in the EU since 2022; US (FDA) ban from 2027. Which
  • TypicalFDA's tests of cakes, cupcakes, snack cakes 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, Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Red No. 40 (Allura Red).
  • 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 (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008) Source. Applies to Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Red No. 3 (erythrosine).
  • 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 Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Red No. 40 (Allura Red).
  • 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 Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Red No. 3 (erythrosine), Red No. 40 (Allura Red).
  • 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 Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Red No. 3 (erythrosine), Red No. 40 (Allura Red).
  • 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 Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Red No. 3 (erythrosine), Red No. 40 (Allura Red).
  • 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 Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Red No. 3 (erythrosine), Red No. 40 (Allura Red), Bleached flour.
  • EU: Allowed with warning label (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex V) Source. Applies to Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Red No. 40 (Allura Red).

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

Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue) (E133)

Only the shared rules above.

Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) (E102)

Only the shared rules above.

Red No. 3 (erythrosine) (E127)

  • US (FDA): Authorization revoked from 2027-01-15 FDA revoked its approval for food; food makers must stop using it by January 15, 2027 (ingested drugs by January 18, 2028). (90 FR 4628 (2025)) Source
  • California: Banned from 2027-01-01 Banned in food made, sold or distributed in California after January 1, 2027. (AB 418 (2023)) Source

Red No. 40 (Allura Red) (E129)

Only the shared rules above.

Bleached flour

  • US (FDA): Allowed FDA allows bleached flour. Source

Typical for cakes, cupcakes, snack cakes

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 Cake, chocolate with chocolate icing: found in 27 of 27 samples, average 8.92, highest 16 ppb (2017-2020)
  • Lead in Cake, white with white icing: found in 9 of 27 samples, average 2.56, highest 17 ppb (2017-2020)
  • Cadmium in Cake, chocolate with chocolate icing: found in 27 of 27 samples, average 17.6, highest 40 ppb (2017-2020)
  • Cadmium in Cake, white with white icing: found in 27 of 27 samples, average 4.13, highest 6.4 ppb (2017-2020)
  • Mercury in Cake, chocolate with chocolate icing: found in 9 of 27 samples, average 0.45, highest 1.9 ppb (2017-2020)
  • Mercury in Cake, white with white icing: found in 0 of 27 samples, all below 1 ppb (2017-2020)
  • Arsenic (total) in Cake, chocolate with chocolate icing: found in 25 of 27 samples, average 3.6, highest 4.6 ppb (2017-2020)
  • Arsenic (total) in Cake, white with white icing: found in 10 of 27 samples, average 1.72, highest 7.4 ppb (2017-2020)
  • Perchlorate in Cake, chocolate w/ icing: found in 12 of 20 samples, average 2.76, highest 14 ppb (2008-2012)
  • Perchlorate in Cake, white w/ icing (formerly yellow cake): found in 12 of 20 samples, average 1.88, highest 9 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)

SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WATER, PALM AND PALM KERNEL OIL, PALM AND SOYBEAN OILS WITH TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID TO PROTECT FLAVOR, DEXTROSE. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SOY FLOUR, SOYBEAN OIL, EGG WHITES, CORN STARCH, WHEY (MILK), LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, SOY LECITHIN, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, SORBIC ACID (TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), POLYSORBATE 60, BLUE 1, YELLOW 5, RED 3, RED 40, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, POLYSORBATE 80, ARABIC GUM.

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

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