Is Pie Crusts Safe? Ingredient Analysis
Giant Food
Pie Crusts is a snack from Giant Food. It has a Zerotox safety score of 45/100, which means it shows multiple flagged ingredients that may matter for sensitive users.
The main ingredients worth reviewing are Lard, Sodium Propionate, Potassium Sorbate.
45 / 100
Why score is 45
The composition includes several synthetic additives such as sodium propionate and potassium sorbate as preservatives, along with artificial colors like Yellow 5 and Red 40, indicating significant quality concerns.
Main concern
Lard, particularly hydrogenated lard, raises concerns due to its processing and potential health implications.
Why it matters: This ingredient is flagged in our analysis based on regulatory and scientific sources. Check the Ingredients section for details and see Data sources for methodology.
Regulation status: Ingredient safety is assessed from EU/EPA/CIR and similar databases; formulations may vary. Always read the product label.
Pros
- Enriched bleached flour provides some essential nutrients like niacin and iron, contributing to the overall nutritional profile.
- Wheat starch is a common ingredient that helps improve texture and structure in baked goods.
Concerns
- Lard, particularly hydrogenated lard, raises concerns due to its processing and potential health implications.
- The presence of artificial colors (Yellow 5, Red 40) and preservatives (sodium propionate, potassium sorbate) indicates a highly processed composition.
Who should avoid this product?
This snack may not be the best fit for:
- people with sensitive skin or fragrance sensitivity
- people avoiding animal-derived ingredients
Ingredients breakdown
Each ingredient below is explained in the context of this snack so the page answers more than a simple label list.
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Is Enriched Bleached Flour safe in this snack?
Medium
Enriched Bleached Flour is used here as base. Enriched bleached flour is a processed wheat product that provides some nutrients but raises concerns due to bleaching agents used in processing.
Role in formula: base
Original: Enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate [vitamin b1], riboflavin [vitamin b2], folic acid)
Read the full ingredient profile for Enriched Bleached Flour
-
Is Wheat Starch safe in this snack?
Good
Wheat Starch is used here as base. Wheat starch is a natural carbohydrate that helps improve the texture and stability of the crust, contributing positively to the product's quality.
Role in formula: base
Original: wheat starch
-
Is Lard safe in this snack?
Bad
Lard is used here as base. Lard is a rendered fat that can enhance flavor and texture but raises health concerns, especially when hydrogenated, due to trans fats.
Role in formula: base
Original: lard (deodorized lard, hydrogenated lard, bht [preservative])
-
Is Water safe in this snack?
Good
Water is used here as base. Water is essential for dough formation and contributes to the overall texture of the pie crust without raising safety concerns.
Role in formula: base
Original: water
-
Is Sugar safe in this snack?
Medium
Sugar is used here as sweetener. Sugar is used to enhance flavor but contributes to the overall sweetness and caloric content, raising some concerns about excessive intake.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: sugar
-
Is Salt safe in this snack?
Good
Salt is used here as flavor. Salt enhances flavor and balances sweetness, playing a crucial role in the overall taste profile of the pie crust.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: salt
-
Is Sodium Propionate safe in this snack?
Bad
Sodium Propionate is used here as preservative. Sodium propionate is a synthetic preservative used to inhibit mold growth, but it raises concerns about synthetic additives in food products.
Role in formula: preservative
Original: sodium propionate
-
Is Citric Acid safe in this snack?
Medium
Citric Acid is used here as acidulant. Citric acid is a natural preservative and flavor enhancer, but its presence indicates some level of processing.
Role in formula: acidulant
Original: citric acid
-
Is Potassium Sorbate safe in this snack?
Bad
Potassium Sorbate is used here as preservative. Potassium sorbate is a synthetic preservative that helps prevent spoilage but raises concerns about the use of artificial additives.
Role in formula: preservative
Original: potassium sorbate
-
Is Xanthan Gum safe in this snack?
Medium
Xanthan Gum is used here as thickener. Xanthan gum is a thickening agent that improves texture but is a processed ingredient that may raise concerns for some consumers.
Role in formula: thickener
Original: xanthan gum
-
Is Corn Starch safe in this snack?
Medium
Corn Starch is used here as thickener. Corn starch is used as a thickening agent, providing texture but is a processed ingredient that may not appeal to all consumers.
Role in formula: thickener
Original: corn starch
-
Is Yellow 5 safe in this snack?
Bad
Yellow 5 is used here as colorant. Yellow 5 is an artificial colorant that raises safety concerns due to potential allergic reactions and its synthetic nature.
Role in formula: colorant
Original: colors (yellow 5)
-
Is Red 40 safe in this snack?
Bad
Red 40 is used here as colorant. Red 40 is an artificial colorant associated with various health concerns, including hyperactivity in children, raising quality issues.
Role in formula: colorant
Original: red 40
How we score
Our safety scores and ingredient breakdowns are based on regulatory and scientific sources. See Data sources & methodology and How Zerotox works for full details.
Product info
Product ID: 3393800
More from this brand: Giant Food products in Zerotox
Similar products: snack in Zerotox database
Allergens detected: wheat
Report / complain: You may report errors or complain about this product or its formulation to hello [at] zeroto.app . Published for transparency.