Life

Name: Life
Brand: Quaker

3Avoid

Breakdown

Ultra-processed · 2 contaminants flagged · 1 ingredient to avoid

Includes lab results from its product family: Quaker Life (oat, corn and wheat base)

100

Lab-measured contaminants

Measured against published safety limits

−49

cadmium−37

arsenic−12

Ingredients

−38

folic acid−11

calcium carbonate−4

tocopherols−4

reduced iron−4

niacinamide−3

4 smaller deductions−12

Processing

−10

NOVA 4: ultra-processed−10

Final score3

Contaminants · 4

2 at/over limit

Measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Cadmium19 ppbof 5 ppb

Over the limit — 3.8×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

Arsenic12.6 ppbof 10 ppb

Over the limit — 1.3×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.010 mg/L (= EPA MCL)

LeadNDof 5 ppb

Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

MercuryNDof 2 ppb

Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.002 mg/L

Contaminants · 4

2 at/over limit

Includes lab tests of other products in its family

Quaker Life (oat, corn and wheat base)

Worst result per contaminant across the family

In the family’s tests: measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Cadmium19 ppbof 5 ppb

Over the limit — 3.8×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

Measured in: Life Original Multigrain Cereal, Family Size, 22.3 oz

Arsenic12.6 ppbof 10 ppb

Over the limit — 1.3×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.010 mg/L (= EPA MCL)

Measured in: Life Original Multigrain Cereal, Family Size, 22.3 oz

LeadNDof 5 ppb

Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

Measured in: Life Original Multigrain Cereal, Family Size, 22.3 oz

MercuryNDof 2 ppb

Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.002 mg/L

Measured in: Life Original Multigrain Cereal, Family Size, 22.3 oz

Ingredients · 15

GoodCautionAvoid

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Healthier swaps

Same shelf, cleaner ingredients

Ezekiel 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin Sprouted Crunchy Cereal

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100

Grain Free Honey Breakfast Cereal

Lovebird

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100

Organic Heritage Flakes Cereal

Nature's Path

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Nature's Path

Nutrition facts

Nutrient	Per 100g	Per serving
Calories	380.95 kcal	160 kcal
Fat	4.76 g	2 g
Saturated fat	0 g	0 g
Carbohydrates	78.57 g	33 g
Sugars	19.05 g	8 g
Fiber	7.14 g	3 g
Protein	9.52 g	4 g
Sodium	0.4 g	0.17 g

Browse Cereal

Common questions

Is Quaker Life healthy?

Quaker Life scores 3/100 on Tallow — our avoid band. That number comes from what is on the label: the ingredients, how processed it is, and what it is packaged in, plus lab results from its product family, Quaker Life (oat, corn and wheat base). Per serving it carries 3g fiber, 4g protein and 8g sugar. It is not a verdict on your diet — Tallow does not weigh calories, portion size or how often you eat it, so a high score means the ingredients are clean, not that the food is unlimited.

What is in Quaker Life?

Quaker Life lists 15 ingredients, starting with Oat Flour, Corn Flour, Sugar, Whole Wheat Flour and Calcium Carbonate. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few make up most of what you are eating.

How many calories are in Quaker Life?

160 kcal per serving, or 381 kcal per 100g. Calories are only part of the picture — Tallow scores Quaker Life on what the ingredients are, not how many calories they carry.

Does Quaker Life contain seed oils?

No. Nothing in Quaker Life’s ingredient list matches a seed oil — canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, rice bran or peanut oil, or an unspecified "vegetable oil".

How processed is Quaker Life?

Quaker Life is NOVA group 4: ultra-processed. That is the top of the scale and the classification the score penalises most heavily.

How does Quaker Life compare to other cereal?

At 3/100 Quaker Life scores worse than most cereal we have scored. A higher-scoring option in cereal is Lovebird Grain Free Honey Breakfast Cereal at 100/100.

Is Quaker Life organic?

Quaker Life is not certified organic in our data.

Has Quaker Life been lab tested?

Yes. 4 substances in Quaker Life have a laboratory result on file — see the Contaminants section above for each reading and the limit it was measured against. Other products in its family (Quaker Life (oat, corn and wheat base)), which share its base recipe, were lab tested too. This product is scored with the worst result for each contaminant across those tests. Their results are in the family's Contaminants section above.

Does Quaker Life contain heavy metals?

Yes. A lab detected arsenic at 12.6 ppb against a 10 ppb limit and cadmium at 19 ppb against a 5 ppb limit in Quaker Life. It also tested for lead and mercury and found none above its detection limit. Each reading is in the Contaminants section above. Other products in its family, which share its base recipe, were tested too: a lab detected arsenic at 12.6 ppb against a 10 ppb limit in Life Original Multigrain Cereal, Family Size, 22.3 oz and cadmium at 19 ppb against a 5 ppb limit in Life Original Multigrain Cereal, Family Size, 22.3 oz. This product is scored with the worst result for each contaminant across those tests.

Full methodology: how we score products.