Spoon Scout

Hostess Birthday Cupcakes Frosted Yellow Cake With Creamy Filling, Birthday

Hostess Brands, LLC · Cakes, Cupcakes, Snack Cakes · barcode 00888109012106

What stands out

  • From the label

    The ingredients list Titanium dioxide, Red No. 40 (Allura Red), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Blue No. 2 (indigotine), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow) and Red No. 3 (erythrosine), 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.
  • Additives7 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 2022-12-22). 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), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Blue No. 2 (indigotine), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow).
  • 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), Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow).
  • 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), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Blue No. 2 (indigotine), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow).
  • 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), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Blue No. 2 (indigotine), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow), Red No. 3 (erythrosine).
  • 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), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Blue No. 2 (indigotine), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow), Red No. 3 (erythrosine).
  • 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), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Blue No. 2 (indigotine), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow), Red No. 3 (erythrosine).
  • 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), Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Blue No. 2 (indigotine), Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow), Red No. 3 (erythrosine), Bleached flour.
  • EU: Allowed (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008) Source. Applies to Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue), Blue No. 2 (indigotine), Red No. 3 (erythrosine).

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.

Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue) (E133)

Only the shared rules above.

Blue No. 2 (indigotine) (E132)

Only the shared rules above.

Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) (E102)

Only the shared rules above.

Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow) (E110)

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

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, WATER, ENRICHED FLOUR (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE OR REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), TALLOW, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, PALM OIL, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS: MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CORNSTARCH, EGG, SOYBEAN OIL, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, WHEY, PALM KERNEL OIL, HYDROGENATED TALLOW, EGG WHITE, NONFAT DRY MILK, INULIN, SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, DEFATTED SOY FLOUR, CALCIUM SULFATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, SORBIC ACID AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (TO RETAIN FRESHNESS), DEXTROSE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, COTTONSEED OIL, GLYCERIN, AGAR, POLYSORBATE 60, GUAR GUM, CELLULOSE GUM, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (COLOR), SOY LECITHIN, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, LOCUST BEAN GUM, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, DEXTRIN, RED 40 LAKE, BLUE 1 LAKE, FUMARIC ACID, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, SUNFLOWER OIL, BLUE 2 LAKE, ENZYMES, SODIUM CASEINATE, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CALCIUM CASEINATE, CONFECTIONERS GLAZE, YELLOW 5 LAKE, YELLOW 6 LAKE, RED 3, CARNAUBA WAX, BLUE 1, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6.

From USDA FoodData Central, label dated 2022-12-22. Labels change; check the package.

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