Kowalski's Markets
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Kowalski's Markets, 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
Kowalski's Markets averages 92.4/100 across the 75 of 97 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 22.7% 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.
- 92.4/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 75 scored products
- 97
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 22.7%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 78.4%
- 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 97 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Jelly Belly Candy Cane Jelly Beans; Jb Mellocreme Pumpkins; Free Range Egg Salmon Salad; 22.7% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 92.4/100. 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 75 of 97 tracked Kowalski's Markets records (77.3%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 22 cannot be screened, so the 92.4/100 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 Kowalski's Markets
Kowalski's Markets: 97 products tracked, 75 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 92.4/100, 22.7% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 77.3% 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), Kowalski's Markets's 22.7% flagged share is 4.7 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Kowalski's Markets processing intensity
Kowalski's Markets's NOVA-classified set is 74 products: 78.4% ultra-processed (Group 4, 58 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 58. That ultra-processed share sits 0.1 points above the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Kowalski's Markets shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Kowalski's Markets concentrates in Snacks (20, 43% of this top-five); Condiments (11); Meals (7); Plant-based foods and beverages (7); Salted-snacks (1).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snacks | 20 | 92.3/100 | 20% |
| Condiments | 11 | 99.5/100 | 9.1% |
| Meals | 7 | 81.4/100 | 57.1% |
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 6 | 99.2/100 | 16.7% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Kowalski's Markets's 22.7% flagged share is measured across 75 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.
Kowalski's Markets flagged share vs large-brand cohort
22.7% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
23% 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 (92.4/100) summarizes 75 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.
Kowalski's Markets product score distribution
Brand average 92.4/100 across 75 scored products
92 20th percentile sits above 20% of the 75 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
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 20–30
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 30–40
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 50–60
- 4 scored products (5%)
- 60–70
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 80–90
- 5 scored products (7%)
- 90–100
- 4 scored products (5%)
- 100 and above
- 58 scored products (77%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Kowalski's Markets relies most on Yellow 5, an industry staple
Across the 75 Kowalski's Markets products scored here, Yellow 5 appears in 5. It is used by 2,320 other brands in this database (6.6% 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 | Kowalski's Markets products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow 5 | 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 |
| Yellow 6 | 4 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Carrageenan | 3 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Red 40 | 3 | 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) |
| Blue 1 | 2 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| BHA | 1 | Restricted: California (warning required under Prop 65) |
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 Kowalski's Markets 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 (14 ingredients and 100/100) 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
- 14 ingredients
- Median score
- 100/100
The outlined point is Jelly Belly Candy Cane Jelly Beans, 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
- Jelly Belly Candy Cane Jelly Beans: 12 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Jb Mellocreme Pumpkins: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Free Range Egg Salmon Salad: 37 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza: 61 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Premium cheddar cheese: 14 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Yellow Cheddar Popcorn: 13 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Kowalski's markets, tripple mix popcorn, caramel corn, cheese, salted: 24 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Valentines Sour Hearts: 9 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Freedom Gummy Bears: 14 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Valentines Bears Gummy: 12 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Cold Pack Cheese Spread: 17 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup with Bacon: 50 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Cajun Style Beans: 16 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Granny Smith Caramel Apple: 13 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Milk Chocolate: 25 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- ALFREDO Pasta Sauce: 21 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- French Onion Locally Made Soup: 26 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Almonds Roasted & Salted: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Roasted & Salted Cashews: 5 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Deluxe Mixed Nuts: 15 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Cherries Jubilee Mix: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Aloha Mix: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sweet Summit Mix: 14 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Yogurt Almonds: 14 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Coconut Crunch Almonds: 11 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- All Natural Jelly Beans: 22 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Jb Autumn Mix: 11 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Kowalski's markets, caramel eggs, dark chocolate, sea salt: 15 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Spiced Pumpkin Pie Almond Candy: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Butter: 2 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Unsalted Butter: 1 resolved ingredient, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Parmesan Cheese: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Cold Pack Cheese Spread: 19 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Cold Pack Cheese Spread Made With Natural Aged Cheddar: 15 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sharp Cheddar Cold Pack Cheese Spread: 14 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Cold Pack Cheese Spread: 14 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- White cheddar cheese: 10 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Take & Bake Multigrain Ciabatta Rolls: 33 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Kowalski's markets, eggnog tea cookies: 25 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Garlic Pita Chips: 15 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Coleslaw Dressing: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Salad Dressing: 12 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Horseradish Aioli: 15 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Minnesota Wild Rice: 1 resolved ingredient, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Minnesota Wild Rice: 1 resolved ingredient, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Snowmen Milk Chocolate: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Kowalski's markets, santas milk chocolate: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Kowalski's markets, rolled cookies, butter oat: 14 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Kowalski's markets, almond rolled oat cookies: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
Products by Kowalski's Markets
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 47 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 Kowalski's Markets: closest on tracked product count (97 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (92.4/100 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 Kowalski's Markets food safe? ▼
Kowalski's Markets has an average safety score of 92/100 across the 75 of 97 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 22.7% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Kowalski's Markets products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 97 Kowalski's Markets products. 75 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 22 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Kowalski's Markets catalog? ▼
Kowalski's Markets has 74 NOVA-classified products; 78.4% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 58 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Kowalski's Markets catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Kowalski's Markets concentrates in Snacks (20, 43% of this top-five); Condiments (11); Meals (7); Plant-based foods and beverages (7); Salted-snacks (1).
Does Kowalski's Markets use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Kowalski's Markets 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 Kowalski's Markets 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 Jelly Belly Candy Cane Jelly Beans, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (4) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Yellow 5 appears in 5 scored Kowalski's Markets products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Kowalski's Markets's 92.4/100 average and 22.7% 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.
