Kool-Aid
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Kool-Aid, 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
Kool-Aid averages 53.7/100 across the 125 of 149 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 98.4% 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.
- 53.7/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 125 scored products
- 149
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 98.4%
- 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 Gelatin Snacks Gelatinitas, Strawberry, Orange, Lemon Lime, Grape; Gelatin Snacks, Sugar Free, Low Calorie, Strawberry, Orange, Lemon Lime, Black Cherry; Assorted Zero Sugar Freeze Pops, Tropical Punch, Blue Raspberry, Orange, Kiwi Strawberry, Cherry, Grape; 98.4% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 53.7/100. 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 | Kool-Aid | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg safety score | 53.7/100 | Below-average |
| Products tracked | 149 | OpenFoodFacts US index |
| Flagged ingredients | 98.4% | FDA SAFFA + CSPI flag overlap |
What the Data Says About Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid: 149 products tracked, 125 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 53.7/100, 98.4% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
98.4% of the scored Kool-Aid 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 Kool-Aid sits 39.1 points below that fleet-wide average. Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), Kool-Aid's 98.4% flagged share is 80.4 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Kool-Aid processing intensity
Kool-Aid's NOVA-classified set is 125 products: 100% ultra-processed (Group 4, 125 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 125. 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
- 125 (100%)
Shelf mix
Where Kool-Aid shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Kool-Aid concentrates in Beverages and beverages preparations (27, 69% of this top-five); Beverages (7); Snacks (3); Desserts (2).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beverages and beverages preparations | 26 | 55.2/100 | 96.2% |
| Beverages | 7 | 51.4/100 | 100% |
| Desserts | 2 | 12.5/100 | 100% |
| Snacks | 2 | 75/100 | 100% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Kool-Aid's 98.4% flagged share is measured across 125 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.
Kool-Aid flagged share vs large-brand cohort
98.4% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
98% 98th percentile is at or above the flagged share of 98% 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 (53.7/100) summarizes 125 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.
Kool-Aid product score distribution
Brand average 53.7/100 across 125 scored products
54 43rd percentile sits above 43% of the 125 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
- 3 scored products (2%)
- 10–20
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 20–30
- 10 scored products (8%)
- 30–40
- 18 scored products (14%)
- 40–50
- 15 scored products (12%)
- 50–60
- 13 scored products (10%)
- 60–70
- 31 scored products (25%)
- 70–80
- 24 scored products (19%)
- 80–90
- 8 scored products (6%)
- 100 and above
- 2 scored products (2%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Kool-Aid relies most on Red 40, an industry staple
Across the 125 Kool-Aid products scored here, Red 40 appears in 83. 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 | Kool-Aid products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Red 40 | 83 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Blue 1 | 48 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Sucralose | 47 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Yellow 5 | 22 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Acesulfame Potassium | 20 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| BHA | 18 | Restricted: California (warning required under Prop 65) |
| Yellow 6 | 15 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Aspartame | 7 | 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 Kool-Aid 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 35/100) 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
- 35/100
The outlined point is Gelatin Snacks Gelatinitas, Strawberry, Orange, Lemon Lime, Grape, 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
- Gelatin Snacks Gelatinitas, Strawberry, Orange, Lemon Lime, Grape: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Gelatin Snacks, Sugar Free, Low Calorie, Strawberry, Orange, Lemon Lime, Black Cherry: 15 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Assorted Zero Sugar Freeze Pops, Tropical Punch, Blue Raspberry, Orange, Kiwi Strawberry, Cherry, Grape: 15 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink mix: 14 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Cherry limeade drink mix: 15 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Drink Mix: 15 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- On The Go Low Calorie Drink Mix, Grape: 13 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Zero sugar Kool-aid: 13 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Kool-Aid Liquid: 13 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Rock-A-Dile Red Low Calorie Artificially Flavored Drink Mix, Rock-A-Dile Red: 11 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Sweetened peach mango powdered drink mix: 10 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Kool aid peach mango drink mix canisters: 12 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Gelatin Dessert, Tropical Punch: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Gelatin Snacks, Strawberry, Lemon Lime & Grape: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Pops: 10 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Singles, Drink Mix, Orange: 14 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Singles tropical punch soft drink mix: 15 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Kool aid jammers drink: 12 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Jammers grape juice pouches pouches: 13 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Tropical Punch: 12 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Jammers peach mango juice pouches pouches: 12 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Liquid Drink Mix, Cherry: 13 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Easy Liquid Drink Mix, Grape: 14 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Kool-Aid drink Grape: 12 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Sugar free low calorie drink mix easy open packets gluten free: 13 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Jammers Grape Drink, Grape: 13 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Snappin' Green Apple Drink, Green Apple: 11 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Purplesaurus Rex Flavored Drink: 12 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Kool Aid: 13 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- kool-aid: 13 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Drink Mix: 13 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Kool-aid unsweetened drink mix: 13 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Blue Raspberry: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Liquid Drink Mix, Strawberry: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Cherry Limeade: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Low Calorie Drink Mix: 15 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Sugar Free Low Calorie Drink Mix, Cherry Artificial Flavor: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Tropical Punch Zero Sugar Jammers Drink, Tropical Punch: 9 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Watermelon Zero Calorie Drink Mix, Watermelon: 14 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Cherry Zero Calorie Drink Mix, Cherry: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Strawberry kiwi: 16 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Cherry Gels: 18 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Kool-Aid liquid: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Kool aid liquid: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Kool-Aid, Liquid, Drink Mix, Watermelon, Watermelon: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- kool-aid liquid: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Kool-Aid Liquid Strawberry: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Singles grape: 12 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Kool-Aid: 10 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Drink Mix, Green Apple: 11 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
Products by Kool-Aid
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 Kool-Aid: closest on tracked product count (149 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (53.7/100 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 Kool-Aid food safe? ▼
Kool-Aid has an average safety score of 54/100 across the 125 of 149 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 98.4% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Kool-Aid products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 149 Kool-Aid products. 125 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 24 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Kool-Aid catalog? ▼
Kool-Aid has 125 NOVA-classified products; 100% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 125 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Kool-Aid catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Kool-Aid concentrates in Beverages and beverages preparations (27, 69% of this top-five); Beverages (7); Snacks (3); Desserts (2).
Does Kool-Aid use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Kool-Aid 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 Kool-Aid 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 Gelatin Snacks Gelatinitas, Strawberry, Orange, Lemon Lime, Grape, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (4) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Red 40 appears in 83 scored Kool-Aid products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Kool-Aid's 53.7/100 average and 98.4% 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.
