Key Food
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Key Food, 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
Key Food averages 96.2/100 across the 458 of 463 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 20.7% 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.
- 96.2/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 458 scored products
- 463
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 20.7%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 55.1%
- 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 463 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Instant Pudding & Pie Filling; Key food, frosting, creamy fudge; Instant Pudding & Pie Filling; 20.7% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 96.2/100. 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 | Key Food | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg safety score | 96.2/100 | Above-average |
| Products tracked | 463 | OpenFoodFacts US index |
| Flagged ingredients | 20.7% | FDA SAFFA + CSPI flag overlap |
What the Data Says About Key Food
Key Food: 463 products tracked, 458 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 96.2/100, 20.7% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
20.7% of the scored Key Food 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 Key Food sits 3.4 points above that fleet-wide average. Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), Key Food's 20.7% flagged share is 2.7 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Key Food processing intensity
Key Food's NOVA-classified set is 434 products: 55.1% ultra-processed (Group 4, 239 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 239. That ultra-processed share sits 23.2 points below the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Key Food shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Key Food concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (195, 56% of this top-five); Dairies (58); Condiments (50); Snacks (23); Desserts (20).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 195 | 98.8/100 | 6.7% |
| Dairies | 58 | 98.7/100 | 12.1% |
| Condiments | 50 | 98.1/100 | 18% |
| Snacks | 23 | 97.2/100 | 13% |
| Desserts | 20 | 81.5/100 | 95% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Key Food's 20.7% flagged share is measured across 458 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.
Key Food flagged share vs large-brand cohort
20.7% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
21% 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 (96.2/100) summarizes 458 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.
Key Food product score distribution
Brand average 96.2/100 across 458 scored products
96 16th percentile sits above 16% of the 458 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
- 10–20
- 1 scored products (0%)
- 20–30
- 1 scored products (0%)
- 30–40
- 1 scored products (0%)
- 40–50
- 5 scored products (1%)
- 50–60
- 2 scored products (0%)
- 60–70
- 5 scored products (1%)
- 70–80
- 15 scored products (3%)
- 80–90
- 19 scored products (4%)
- 90–100
- 46 scored products (10%)
- 100 and above
- 363 scored products (79%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Key Food relies most on Caramel Coloring, an industry staple
Across the 458 Key Food products scored here, Caramel Coloring appears in 30. 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 | Key Food products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Caramel Coloring | 30 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Carrageenan | 25 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Red 40 | 15 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 5 | 11 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Sodium Nitrite | 10 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Polysorbate 80 | 9 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Sucralose | 8 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Yellow 6 | 6 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
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 Key Food 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 ingredients and 75/100) 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 ingredients
- Median score
- 75/100
The outlined point is Instant Pudding & Pie Filling, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (4). 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
- Instant Pudding & Pie Filling: 20 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Key food, frosting, creamy fudge: 27 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Instant Pudding & Pie Filling: 16 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Ice cream: 18 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Key food, drink mix, lemonade: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Key food, sherbet, orange: 18 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Key food, raspberry sherbet: 17 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Key food, rainbow sherbet: 21 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Key food, instant sugar free oatmeal, maple 'n brown sugar: 19 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Key food, hot cocoa mix: 20 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Key food, sundae cones: 25 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 3 flagged.
- Key food, creamy french dressing: 17 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Lemonade Drink: 8 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Soda, Fruit Punch: 9 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, soda, orange: 10 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, instant oatmeal, strawberries 'n cream: 29 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, quality, corn muffin mix: 26 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, deluxe devil's food cake mix: 33 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, india relish: 16 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, sweet relish: 14 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, kosher dill pickles: 10 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice Cream, Strawberry Swirl: 18 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, soda, cola, cola: 9 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, baked beans with bacon & brown sugar, original: 18 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, seedless rye, european hearth bread: 37 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice cream cups: 15 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, worcestershire sauce, original: 15 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Key food, premium drink, fruit punch: 9 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, premium drink, orange punch: 18 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Cherry: 14 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, drink mix, kiwi strawberry: 12 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, premium sweet relish: 12 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, kosher dill pickles: 7 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, blended lowfat yogurt, strawberry: 15 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, blended lowfat yogurt, strawberry banana: 16 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, juice cocktail, ruby red grapefruit: 10 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, artificially flavored soda, grape: 9 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, zero calorie sucralose sweetener: 2 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Turkey Frankfurters: 11 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, fruit & vegetable juice cocktail: 14 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, instant oatmeal, peaches 'n cream: 29 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, corned beef with natural juice: 6 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, mega mac, macaroni & cheese dinner: 43 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Kettle Corn Sweet & Salty Popcorn: 4 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, baked beans with bacon & brown sugar: 17 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, beef frankfurters: 11 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, hot dogs: 13 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, chicken franks: 11 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, sliced bacon: 6 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Key food, thick sliced bacon: 6 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
Products by Key Food
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 413 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 Key Food: closest on tracked product count (463 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (96.2/100 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 Key Food food safe? ▼
Key Food has an average safety score of 96/100 across the 458 of 463 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 20.7% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Key Food products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 463 Key Food products. 458 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 5 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Key Food catalog? ▼
Key Food has 434 NOVA-classified products; 55.1% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 239 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Key Food catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Key Food concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (195, 56% of this top-five); Dairies (58); Condiments (50); Snacks (23); Desserts (20).
Does Key Food use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Key Food 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 Key Food 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 Instant Pudding & Pie Filling, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (4) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Caramel Coloring appears in 30 scored Key Food products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Key Food's 96.2/100 average and 20.7% 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.
