Dean's
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Dean's, 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
Dean's averages 89.6/100 across the 172 of 201 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 73.3% 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.
- 89.6/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 172 scored products
- 201
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 73.3%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 79.2%
- 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 201 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Superscoops wafers sandwiches; Reduced fat ice cream; Dip guacamole flavored; 73.3% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 89.6/100. 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.
| Signal | Dean's | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg safety score | 89.6/100 | Mid-range |
| Products tracked | 201 | OpenFoodFacts US index |
| Flagged ingredients | 73.3% | FDA SAFFA + CSPI flag overlap |
What the Data Says About Dean's
Dean's: 201 products tracked, 172 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 89.6/100, 73.3% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
73.3% of the scored Dean's products contain at least one separately flagged ingredient. That distribution is the primary finding; the average does not make those affected formulations "mostly safe." Scoring methodology + dye-pledge context →
Across the 894,137 products we index overall, the average safety score is 92.8/100, and Dean's sits 3.2 points below that fleet-wide average. Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), Dean's's 73.3% flagged share is 55.3 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Dean's processing intensity
Dean's's NOVA-classified set is 168 products: 79.2% ultra-processed (Group 4, 133 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 133. That ultra-processed share sits 0.9 points above the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Dean's shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Dean's concentrates in Desserts (62, 52% of this top-five); Dairies (37); Condiments (17); Plant-based foods and beverages (3); Beverages (1).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desserts | 59 | 84.8/100 | 93.2% |
| Dairies | 35 | 96.1/100 | 42.9% |
| Condiments | 17 | 83.5/100 | 100% |
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 2 | 22.5/100 | 100% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Dean's's 73.3% flagged share is measured across 172 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.
Dean's flagged share vs large-brand cohort
73.3% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
73% 0th percentile is at or above the flagged share of 0% 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 (89.6/100) summarizes 172 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.
Dean's product score distribution
Brand average 89.6/100 across 172 scored products
90 14th percentile sits above 14% of the 172 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
- 5 scored products (3%)
- 40–50
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 50–60
- 3 scored products (2%)
- 60–70
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 70–80
- 6 scored products (3%)
- 80–90
- 15 scored products (9%)
- 90–100
- 95 scored products (55%)
- 100 and above
- 46 scored products (27%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Dean's relies most on Carrageenan, an industry staple
Across the 172 Dean's products scored here, Carrageenan appears in 110. It is used by 2,390 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 | Dean's products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Carrageenan | 110 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Polysorbate 80 | 48 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Caramel Coloring | 17 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Red 40 | 12 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 5 | 7 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 6 | 7 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Blue 1 | 5 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Sodium Nitrite | 4 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
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 Dean's 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 (22 ingredients and 85/100) 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
- 22 ingredients
- Median score
- 85/100
The outlined point is Superscoops wafers sandwiches, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (8). 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
- Superscoops wafers sandwiches: 36 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 8 flagged.
- Reduced fat ice cream: 23 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Dip guacamole flavored: 40 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Guacamole flavored dip, guacamole: 37 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Assorted pops: 11 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Fruit drink: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Dean's, country fresh, premium ice cream, red velvet cake: 42 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Ice Cream Bars: 22 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Lemon Icebox Pie: 38 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 3 flagged.
- Maple Ice Cream With Walnut: 15 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Country Fresh, Premium Ice Cream & Sherbet, Chicago Brick: 23 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Ice Cream Sandwiches: 24 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Chocolate Ice Cream In A Chocolate Cone With A Fudge Center, Chocolate Flavored Coating & Chocolate Crunch Topping: 36 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Sundae Nut Cones, Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream Cone With Chocolate Flavored Coating & Peanuts: 22 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Country Fresh, Nutty Buddy Super Scoops Ice Cream Cones, Vanilla: 41 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Nutty Buddy Superscoops Ice Cream: 26 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Super scoops ice cream sandwiches: 22 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Cookies & cream ice cream sandwiches: 25 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Ice cream sandwiches: 23 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Dean's, sriracha dip, spicy thai chili: 35 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Orange Twin Pops: 10 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- French Onion Dip: 24 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium ice cream: 26 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Family Size Country Fresh Neapolitan Ice Cream: 18 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Contry Fresh Ice Cream: 14 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- French Onion With Bacon Dip: 35 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- French Onion With Bacon Dip: 35 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Bacon ranch dip: 36 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Cheddar bacon: 35 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium ice cream: 22 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- 100% Real Ice Cream: 19 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium ice cream: 18 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium ice cream: 43 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Country Fresh Lowfat Cottage Cheese: 16 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Small Curd Cottage Cheese: 16 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Country Fresh Cottage Cheese: 16 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Country Fresh Large Curd Cottage Cheese: 15 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Small curd cottage cheese: 25 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Cottage Cheese: 15 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Dean's, 1% milkfat cottage cheese: 16 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Small Curd Fat Free Cottage Cheese: 16 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Dean's, 4% milkfat minimum cottage cheese: 15 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Cottage Chesse: 15 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Cottage cheese: 16 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Dean's, country fresh, premium ice cream, cookies 'n cream: 35 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: 5 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Heavy whipping cream: 4 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Ultra-pasteurized whipping cream: 5 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Heavy whipping cream: 4 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium ice cream: 46 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
Products by Dean's
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 151 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 Dean's: closest on tracked product count (201 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (89.6/100 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 Dean's food safe? ▼
Dean's has an average safety score of 90/100 across the 172 of 201 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 73.3% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Dean's products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 201 Dean's products. 172 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 29 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Dean's catalog? ▼
Dean's has 168 NOVA-classified products; 79.2% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 133 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Dean's catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Dean's concentrates in Desserts (62, 52% of this top-five); Dairies (37); Condiments (17); Plant-based foods and beverages (3); Beverages (1).
Does Dean's use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Dean's 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 Dean's 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 Superscoops wafers sandwiches, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (8) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Carrageenan appears in 110 scored Dean's products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Dean's's 89.6/100 average and 73.3% 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.
