Food Lion
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Food Lion, 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
Food Lion averages 91.9/100 across the 1,473 of 2,529 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 28.5% 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.
- 91.9/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 1,473 scored products
- 2,529
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 28.5%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 69.5%
- 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 2,529 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Crunch Cookie Monster Trail Mix; Iced Tea With Lemon Drink Mix; Nonfat Frozen Yogurt; 28.5% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 91.9/100. 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 1,473 of 2,529 tracked Food Lion records (58.2%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 1,056 cannot be screened, so the 91.9/100 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 Food Lion
Food Lion: 2,529 products tracked, 1,473 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 91.9/100, 28.5% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 58.2% 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), Food Lion's 28.5% flagged share is 10.5 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Food Lion processing intensity
Food Lion's NOVA-classified set is 1,430 products: 69.5% ultra-processed (Group 4, 994 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 994. That ultra-processed share sits 8.8 points below the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Food Lion shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Food Lion concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (182, 38% of this top-five); Snacks (94); Beverages (88); Condiments (67); Dairies (50).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 149 | 95.5/100 | 14.8% |
| Snacks | 87 | 88.2/100 | 36.8% |
| Beverages | 82 | 62.4/100 | 81.7% |
| Condiments | 49 | 98.8/100 | 20.4% |
| Dairies | 47 | 97.1/100 | 17% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Food Lion's 28.5% flagged share is measured across 1,473 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.
Food Lion flagged share vs large-brand cohort
28.5% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
29% 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 (91.9/100) summarizes 1,473 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.
Food Lion product score distribution
Brand average 91.9/100 across 1,473 scored products
92 24th percentile sits above 24% of the 1,473 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
- 19 scored products (1%)
- 10–20
- 5 scored products (0%)
- 20–30
- 23 scored products (2%)
- 30–40
- 6 scored products (0%)
- 40–50
- 12 scored products (1%)
- 50–60
- 32 scored products (2%)
- 60–70
- 23 scored products (2%)
- 70–80
- 78 scored products (5%)
- 80–90
- 91 scored products (6%)
- 90–100
- 131 scored products (9%)
- 100 and above
- 1,053 scored products (71%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Food Lion relies most on Caramel Coloring, an industry staple
Across the 1,473 Food Lion products scored here, Caramel Coloring appears in 130. It is used by 3,551 other brands in this database (10.1% 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 | Food Lion products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Caramel Coloring | 130 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Red 40 | 90 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 5 | 74 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Blue 1 | 55 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 6 | 55 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Aspartame | 53 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Carrageenan | 44 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Acesulfame Potassium | 39 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
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 Food Lion 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 (15.5 ingredients and 20/100) 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
- 15.5 ingredients
- Median score
- 20/100
The outlined point is Crunch Cookie Monster Trail Mix, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (10). 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
- Crunch Cookie Monster Trail Mix: 53 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 10 flagged.
- Iced Tea With Lemon Drink Mix: 16 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 9 flagged.
- Nonfat Frozen Yogurt: 34 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Gelatin Dessert Cups: 14 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Parfait fun pack assorted desserts: 26 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Food lion, drink mix, peach tea: 15 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Peach Tea: 15 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- 8in Sl Choc/van Trad: 40 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- EZ Mac’n’Cheese: 40 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Ez Mac 'N' Cheese Dinner: 40 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Wild strawberry drink mix: 20 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Spice Drops: 11 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Diet Soda, Orange: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Food lion, instant pudding & pie filling, butterscotch: 17 resolved ingredients, 5/100, 5 flagged.
- Food lion, ice cream, sweet black cherry: 26 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 5 flagged.
- Fruit Slices: 10 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Shark! Fruit Flavored Snacks: 22 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Food lion, dinosaur snacks, assorted fruit: 22 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Food lion, chocolate two-bite cupcakes: 43 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Two-Bite, Cupcakes, Vanilla: 42 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Food lion, pudding & pie filling, chocolate: 18 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Strawberry Muffin Mix: 48 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Sweetened Multi-Grain Cereal: 24 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Mac 'N' Cheese Dinner: 28 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Sour Jacks: 13 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Replenish Water Enhancer: 15 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Diet Soda, Cranberry & Lemon-Lime: 13 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Soda: 12 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- RipRoarin'FruitPunch: 12 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Fruit Punch Drink Mix: 14 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Fruit punch drink mix: 14 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Raspberry Lemonade: 14 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Food lion, drink mix, raspberry: 11 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Punch drink: 24 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Creamy Frosting: 26 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Creamy Frosting: 29 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 21 resolved ingredients, 40/100, 4 flagged.
- Chrispy Thin Crust Pizza Combination: 88 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 4 flagged.
- Crispy Thin Crust Pizza: 91 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 4 flagged.
- Food lion, omazing orange, soda, orange: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Soda: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Orange pineapple soda: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Soda: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Soda: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Candy Corn: 13 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Circus Peanuts: 8 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Food lion, caffeine free soda, orange, pineapple: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Omazing Orange, Orange Soda: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Classic Candy Corn: 13 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Mini Marshmallows: 31 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
Products by Food Lion
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 2,479 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 Food Lion: closest on tracked product count (2,529 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (91.9/100 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 Food Lion food safe? ▼
Food Lion has an average safety score of 92/100 across the 1,473 of 2529 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 28.5% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Food Lion products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 2,529 Food Lion products. 1,473 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 1,056 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Food Lion catalog? ▼
Food Lion has 1,430 NOVA-classified products; 69.5% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 994 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Food Lion catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Food Lion concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (182, 38% of this top-five); Snacks (94); Beverages (88); Condiments (67); Dairies (50).
Does Food Lion use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Food Lion 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 Food Lion 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 Crunch Cookie Monster Trail Mix, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (10) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Caramel Coloring appears in 130 scored Food Lion products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Food Lion's 91.9/100 average and 28.5% 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.
