amber
Propylene Glycol
Common humectant. Documented contact allergen — especially for eczema-prone skin.
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Betty Crocker Strawberries & Cream Cake Mix 450g
Is Betty Crocker Strawberries & Cream Cake Mix 450g low tox? Our scanner flagged 4 ingredients (4 in the caution tier) on its published label, screened against our 237 source-cited chemical rules.
4 caution
4 ingredients flagged
What we flagged
amber
Carmines
Insect-derived red colour. Documented IgE allergen with anaphylaxis case reports.
DiCello et al. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1999 (carmine anaphylaxis)
amber
Diglycerides
Industrial fatty-acid emulsifier shown to disrupt gut mucus barrier and microbiome in mouse models. Ubiquitous in baked goods and chocolate.
amber
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
Industrial dough conditioner / emulsifier. Same Chassaing-class concerns for gut-barrier disruption.
Full ingredients (from label)
Cake Mix (73%): Wheat FlourSugarRasing Agents (Sodium Bicarbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Sodium Alu minum Phosphate)Modified Corn Starch (1422)Emulsifier (Propylene Glycol Esters Of Fatty Acids, M ono- And Di-Glycerides Of Fatty Acids, Sodium Stea royl Lactylate)SaltFlavoursVegetable OilTh ickeners (Xanthan Gum, Sodium Carboxymethylcellulo se)Colour (Carmines). Frosting (27%): SugarVegetable OilWaterInvert Sugar SyrupEmulsifiers (Mono And Diglycerides Of Fatty Acids, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate)SaltPreservative (Potassium Sorbate)Mineral Salt (Sodium Acid P yrophosphate)Vanilla FlavorColour (Carotene)Food Acid (Citric Acid).
How this analysis is generated
Each ingredient on this product's published label is matched against our 237 source-cited chemical rules, each documenting a concern from peer-reviewed research and regulatory sources. Severity tiers:
- Avoid (red) — banned or restricted in the EU, UK or Canada but still legal in the US, IARC-listed, or strong contact-allergen evidence.
- Caution (amber) — regulatory caution, contamination risk, or condition-specific irritant.
- Mild (green) — low concern but commonly avoided in low-tox formulations.
Each flag links to its primary chemical-level source, and each condition pill links to a PubMed-indexed paper that discusses the chemical class in the context of that condition. Every citation is a real peer-reviewed paper — we don't link to Wikipedia or PubMed search pages. Some pairs use a topically-broad paper (e.g. a fragrance-allergen patch-test review) rather than a single-pair study where the literature is thin. The full evidence chain (chemical → mechanism → condition → paper) is one click away.
This is automated analysis of a published label, not medical advice — always verify the label yourself before changing products. Methodology and source list at scan.lowtoxgear.com.