Kar's
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Kar'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
Kar's averages 50.8/100 across the 53 of 90 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 56.6% 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.
- 50.8/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 53 scored products
- 90
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 56.6%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 67.9%
- 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 90 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Sweet 'N Salty Deluxe Trail Mix; Favorites Mix with m&m's; Dunkin' Frosted Donut with Sprinkles; 56.6% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 50.8/100. 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 53 of 90 tracked Kar's records (58.9%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 37 cannot be screened, so the 50.8/100 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 Kar's
Kar's: 90 products tracked, 53 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 50.8/100, 56.6% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 58.9% 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), Kar's's 56.6% flagged share is 38.6 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Kar's processing intensity
Kar's's NOVA-classified set is 53 products: 67.9% ultra-processed (Group 4, 36 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 36. That ultra-processed share sits 10.4 points below the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Kar's shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Kar's concentrates in Snacks (35, 69% of this top-five); Plant-based foods and beverages (11); Trail-mix (4); Mix (1).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snacks | 35 | 46.9/100 | 62.9% |
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 10 | 90/100 | 10% |
| Trail-mix | 2 | 0/100 | 100% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Kar's's 56.6% flagged share is measured across 53 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.
Kar's flagged share vs large-brand cohort
56.6% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
57% 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 (50.8/100) summarizes 53 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.
Kar's product score distribution
Brand average 50.8/100 across 53 scored products
51 51st percentile sits above 51% of the 53 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
- 20 scored products (38%)
- 10–20
- 2 scored products (4%)
- 20–30
- 2 scored products (4%)
- 30–40
- 1 scored products (2%)
- 50–60
- 4 scored products (8%)
- 80–90
- 1 scored products (2%)
- 100 and above
- 23 scored products (43%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Kar's relies most on Yellow 6, an industry staple
Across the 53 Kar's products scored here, Yellow 6 appears in 27. It is used by 1,766 other brands in this database (5.0% 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 | Kar's products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow 6 | 27 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 5 | 24 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Blue 1 | 22 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Blue 2 | 22 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Red 40 | 22 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Titanium Dioxide | 3 | Restricted: EU (banned); California (under review) |
| Red 3 | 1 | FDA ban effective 2027-01-15 · Restricted: California (AB 418; effective 2027-01-01); Federal (FDA; effective 2027-01-15) |
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 Kar'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 (24 ingredients and 42.5/100) 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
- 24 ingredients
- Median score
- 42.5/100
The outlined point is Sweet 'N Salty Deluxe 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
- Sweet 'N Salty Deluxe Trail Mix: 32 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 10 flagged.
- Favorites Mix with m&m's: 47 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 9 flagged.
- Dunkin' Frosted Donut with Sprinkles: 43 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 8 flagged.
- Favorites Mix with M&M's: 41 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 8 flagged.
- Holly Jolly Crunch: 39 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Sweet 'n Salty Mix: 23 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Sweet 'N Salty Mix Trail Mix: 24 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Kars Sweet 'N Salty Mix: 24 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Kars Sweet 'N Salty Mix peg bag: 24 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Sweet 'N Salty Mix: 25 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Sweet 'N Salty Mix: 25 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Kar's, sweet 'n salty mix: 24 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Sweet 'n salty peanuts, cocoa candies, raisins, sunflower kernels mix, sweet 'n salty: 25 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Sweet 'n salty mix: 24 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Kar's Sweet 'n Salty Mix: 25 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Kars Sweet 'n Salty Select: 31 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Sweet n salty trail mix: 25 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Sweet 'N Salty Mix: 24 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Sweet 'N Salty Mix Trail Mix: 25 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Sweet 'n salty, peanuts, cocoa candies, raisins, sunflower kernels the american trail mix, sweet 'n salty: 24 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- PB 'N Dark Chocolate Trail Mix: 30 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Sweet 'N Salty Mix: 21 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Sweet 'N Salty Mix: 18 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Peanut Butter N Dark Chocolate Trail Mix: 25 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Sweet'N Salty Peanuts, Cocoa Candies, Raisins, Sunflower Kernels Mix, Sweet'N Salty: 25 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- PB 'N DARK CHOCOLATE TRAIL MIX: 28 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Peanut butter 'n dark chocolate the american trail mix: 28 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Kars Peanut butter 'n Dark Chocolate: 28 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- PB IN DARK CHOCOLATE TRAIL MIX: 26 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Kar's, apple nut trail break: 37 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Kar's salted trail mix: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Original Trail Mix: 5 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Trail mix: 16 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Kar's: 19 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sweet and Spicy Trail Mix: 43 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Roasted Salted Peanuts: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sunflower kernels: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Peanuts: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Peanuts: 12 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Roasted & Salted Peanuts: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Roasted Peanuts: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sunflower seeds: 2 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Nuts sunflower kernels snacks roasted lightly: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Salted Cashews: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Salted In-Shell Pistachios, Salted: 2 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Kar's, sweet 'n spicy mix, honey cajun flavor: 39 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Nut 'n berry, peanuts, raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower kernels, almonds the american trail mix, nut 'n berry: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Nut 'n berry, peanuts, raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower kernels, almonds the american trail mix, nut 'n berry: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Cashews: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Salted Sunflower Kernels Trail Mix, Salted Sunflower Kernels: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
Products by Kar's
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 40 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 Kar's: closest on tracked product count (90 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (50.8/100 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 Kar's food safe? ▼
Kar's has an average safety score of 51/100 across the 53 of 90 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 56.6% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Kar's products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 90 Kar's products. 53 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 37 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Kar's catalog? ▼
Kar's has 53 NOVA-classified products; 67.9% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 36 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Kar's catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Kar's concentrates in Snacks (35, 69% of this top-five); Plant-based foods and beverages (11); Trail-mix (4); Mix (1).
Does Kar's use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Kar'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 Kar'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 Sweet 'N Salty Deluxe Trail Mix, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (10) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Yellow 6 appears in 27 scored Kar's products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Kar's's 50.8/100 average and 56.6% 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.
