Crystal Light
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Crystal Light, current as of September 2026. Screening averages and flag shares live in the short-answer band below. This hero only situates the catalog slice.
The short answer
Crystal Light averages 32.6/100 across the 109 of 149 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 92.7% of those contain at least one separately flagged ingredient. The figure summarizes Open Food Facts labels cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI; it does not establish recall status, allergy suitability, or the composition of products outside this snapshot.
- 32.6/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 109 scored products
- 149
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 92.7%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 100%
- of NOVA-classified products that are ultra-processed (Group 4)
Source snapshot current as of September 2026; open individual products before making a product-specific decision.
Portfolio reading
Use the distribution, then open the outliers
With 149 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Drink Mix, Lemon Iced Tea; Lemon iced tea drink mix; Sweet Tea Drink Mix; 92.7% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 32.6/100. Open those outliers first, then compare neighboring formulations. The aggregate does not establish recall status, allergen suitability, or the composition of an item outside this snapshot.
Catalog evidence
Ingredient-list coverage comes before the score
Only 109 of 149 tracked Crystal Light records (73.2%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 40 cannot be screened, so the 32.6/100 mean describes the labelled subset rather than the whole brand.
Next check: use the product rows below to verify the labelled subset, then compare the current package for any unscored item.
What the Data Says About Crystal Light
Crystal Light: 149 products tracked, 109 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 32.6/100, 92.7% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 73.2% of tracked records, this average is a description of the labelled subset, not a brand-wide tier. The coverage gap is the dominant limitation. Scoring methodology + dye-pledge context →
Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), Crystal Light's 92.7% flagged share is 74.7 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Crystal Light processing intensity
Crystal Light's NOVA-classified set is 109 products: 100% ultra-processed (Group 4, 109 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 109. That ultra-processed share sits 21.7 points above the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
- G1
- 0
- G2
- 0
- G3
- 0
- G4 ultra
- 109 (100%)
Shelf mix
Where Crystal Light shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Crystal Light concentrates in Beverages (26, 46% of this top-five); Beverages and beverages preparations (24); Plant-based foods and beverages (3); Drink-mix (2); Powdered-drink-mix (1).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beverages and beverages preparations | 24 | 36.3/100 | 95.8% |
| Beverages | 23 | 21.3/100 | 95.7% |
| Drink-mix | 2 | 22.5/100 | 100% |
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 2 | 5/100 | 100% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Crystal Light's 92.7% flagged share is measured across 109 scored products. The chart places that rate against the 50 brands with 50+ scored products in this snapshot, the same qualifying cohort used on the rankings page.
Crystal Light flagged share vs large-brand cohort
92.7% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
93% 80th percentile is at or above the flagged share of 80% of the 50 qualifying brands we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more qualifying brands. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 0%–10%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 10%–20%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 20%–30%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 30%–40%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 40%–50%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 50%–60%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 60%–70%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 70%–80%
- 3 qualifying brands (6%)
- 80%–90%
- 25 qualifying brands (50%)
- 90% and above
- 22 qualifying brands (44%)
Source Open Food Facts × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Portfolio shape
How scores cluster inside this brand
The brand average (32.6/100) summarizes 109 scored products. This distribution shows whether that mean sits on a tight cluster or a wide spread, a few low-scoring SKUs can matter even when the headline average looks strong.
Crystal Light product score distribution
Brand average 32.6/100 across 109 scored products
33 57th percentile sits above 57% of the 109 scored products we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more scored products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 0–10
- 21 scored products (19%)
- 10–20
- 9 scored products (8%)
- 20–30
- 24 scored products (22%)
- 30–40
- 16 scored products (15%)
- 40–50
- 9 scored products (8%)
- 50–60
- 15 scored products (14%)
- 60–70
- 5 scored products (5%)
- 70–80
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 80–90
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 100 and above
- 8 scored products (7%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Crystal Light relies most on Red 40, an industry staple
Across the 109 Crystal Light products scored here, Red 40 appears in 88. It is used by 2,397 other brands in this database (6.8% of them), so its presence says more about the category than about this brand. A flag records that a named source raised a concern about an ingredient. It is not a finding that a product is unsafe to eat.
| Flagged ingredient | Crystal Light products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Red 40 | 88 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Blue 1 | 69 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Acesulfame Potassium | 60 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Aspartame | 57 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Yellow 5 | 53 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| BHA | 18 | Restricted: California (warning required under Prop 65) |
| Sucralose | 8 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Caramel Coloring | 2 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
Counts are products in this database whose ingredient list names the flagged ingredient. Flags come from FDA enforcement actions, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings and US state ingredient laws; see the methodology for how each source is applied.
Visible product sample
Label complexity does not determine the screening result
Each point is one of the 50 concern-sorted Crystal Light records shown below. Horizontal position is the number of resolved ingredients on that product's stored label; vertical position is its source-derived screening score. The dashed medians (13 ingredients and 10/100) divide this displayed sample only. A longer label is not automatically worse: open a specific product to inspect its flagged rows and source coverage.
- Shown records
- 50
- Median label
- 13 ingredients
- Median score
- 10/100
The outlined point is Drink Mix, Lemon Iced Tea, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (6). Bubble size represents flagged ingredient count plus one, so zero-flagged products remain visible. The score is derived from FDA SAFFA and CSPI fields; this chart does not establish recall status, dietary suitability, or a health outcome.
Read the plotted values
- Drink Mix, Lemon Iced Tea: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Lemon iced tea drink mix: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Sweet Tea Drink Mix: 11 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Lemon Iced Tea: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Drink mix: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Iced Tea Drink Mix, Lemon: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Decaf lemon ice tea: 12 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Green Tea Drink Mix, Peach-Mango: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Crystal Light Tea Sticks Peach 16 Count / 32 Quarts: 14 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Crystal light fruit punch: 22 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- PEACH ICED TEA: 14 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Classic Orange Flavor Drink Mix, Classic Orange: 17 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Iced decaffeinated tea: 12 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Strawberry, Orange, Banana: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Drink mix: 14 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Iced Tea Drink Mix, Raspberry: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Peach iced tea: 15 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- tropical paradise punch: 24 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Green Tea: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Fruit punch drink mix: 13 resolved ingredients, 5/100, 5 flagged.
- Fruit Punch Drink Mix, Fruit Punch: 15 resolved ingredients, 5/100, 5 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Wild Strawberry: 12 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Wild Strawberry Drink Mix: 12 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- On the go peach mango green tea drink mix: 13 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Wild Strawberry Drink Mix, Wild Strawberry: 12 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Will Strawberry: 14 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- crystal light: 13 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Tropical strawberry kiwi qt: 11 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Crystal light on the go classic orange: 17 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Blackberry Lemonade Drink Mix: 11 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Raspberry Lemonade: 13 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Iced Tea Drink Mix, Lemon: 14 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Fruit Punch Drink Mix: 14 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink Mix Fruit Punch: 13 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- On the go: 10 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Cherry, Pomegranate: 10 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Mojito: 9 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Margarita: 10 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Concord grape: 10 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink mix: 10 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Lemon Iced Tea Drink Mix: 11 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade: 13 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Raspberry ice drink mix: 10 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Raspberry ice: 10 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink Mix: 10 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Crystal Light, Rasberry lemonade: 11 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Fruit punch pack: 13 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Iced Tea Drink Mix, Lemon: 14 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Lemonade pitcher packs: 13 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Lemonade: 13 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
Products by Crystal Light
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 99 tracked records with unusable upstream names remain in the aggregate but are not shown.
Nationwide brands with similar catalog profiles
Two PlainFoodSafe-derived peer sets for Crystal Light: closest on tracked product count (149 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (32.6/100 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood, not a largest-catalog strip.
Similar product count
Nearest other brands by Open Food Facts product count (floored at ≥50).
Similar average screening score
Nearest other brands by average ingredient screening score (floored at ≥50 scored products), distinct from the count row.
Counts and averages from Open Food Facts labels screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine; neither axis is a health outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Crystal Light food safe? ▼
Crystal Light has an average safety score of 33/100 across the 109 of 149 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 92.7% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Crystal Light products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 149 Crystal Light products. 109 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 40 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Crystal Light catalog? ▼
Crystal Light has 109 NOVA-classified products; 100% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 109 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Crystal Light catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Crystal Light concentrates in Beverages (26, 46% of this top-five); Beverages and beverages preparations (24); Plant-based foods and beverages (3); Drink-mix (2); Powdered-drink-mix (1).
Does Crystal Light use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Crystal Light items list a synthetic dye on their label. For whether the company has committed to removing dyes, the FDA and CSPI both publish corporate-commitment trackers; we no longer restate those commitments here.
What to do with this Crystal Light profile
Use this roll-up as orientation, then verify the specific package you hold against its ingredient panel and the named official sources.
- Start with Drink Mix, Lemon Iced Tea, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (6) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Red 40 appears in 88 scored Crystal Light products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Crystal Light's 32.6/100 average and 92.7% flagged share against other brands before treating either figure as a recall or clearance signal. Brand safety rankings
- Cross-check any additive concern against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine rather than relying on this derived index alone. Scoring methodology
A flagged ingredient records a source concern, not a recall, ban, or medical clearance. Always verify the current package label and consult official sources for product-specific decisions.
Citation & disclaimer notes
Brand scores aggregate ingredient-level FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings across Open Food Facts product data. See our methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe.Disclaimer: Informational purposes only; not professional advice. A flagged ingredient is not a recall or a ban. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Brand figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2026.
