Mountain Dew
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Mountain Dew, 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
Mountain Dew averages 57.1/100 across the 80 of 184 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 81.3% 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.
- 57.1/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 80 scored products
- 184
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 81.3%
- 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 184 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Mountain Dew Code Red Zero Sugar Cherry Flavor; Diet Mountain Dew; Mountain Dew, Game Fuel, Soda, Citrus Cherry, Citrus Cherry; 81.3% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 57.1/100. 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 80 of 184 tracked Mountain Dew records (43.5%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 104 cannot be screened, so the 57.1/100 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 Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew: 184 products tracked, 80 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 57.1/100, 81.3% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 43.5% 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), Mountain Dew's 81.3% flagged share is 63.3 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Mountain Dew processing intensity
Mountain Dew's NOVA-classified set is 80 products: 100% ultra-processed (Group 4, 80 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 80. 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
- 80 (100%)
Shelf mix
Where Mountain Dew shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Mountain Dew concentrates in Beverages (38, 49% of this top-five); Beverages and beverages preparations (36); Plant-based foods and beverages (2); Soft-drinks (1).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beverages and beverages preparations | 34 | 54.6/100 | 76.5% |
| Beverages | 24 | 63.3/100 | 83.3% |
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 2 | 40/100 | 100% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Mountain Dew's 81.3% flagged share is measured across 80 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.
Mountain Dew flagged share vs large-brand cohort
81.3% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
81% 14th percentile is at or above the flagged share of 14% 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 (57.1/100) summarizes 80 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.
Mountain Dew product score distribution
Brand average 57.1/100 across 80 scored products
57 44th percentile sits above 44% of the 80 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
- 4 scored products (5%)
- 20–30
- 13 scored products (16%)
- 30–40
- 9 scored products (11%)
- 40–50
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 50–60
- 16 scored products (20%)
- 60–70
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 70–80
- 20 scored products (25%)
- 80–90
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 100 and above
- 15 scored products (19%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Mountain Dew relies most on Yellow 5, an industry staple
Across the 80 Mountain Dew products scored here, Yellow 5 appears in 41. 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 | Mountain Dew products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow 5 | 41 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Red 40 | 26 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Blue 1 | 21 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Acesulfame Potassium | 17 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Sucralose | 17 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Brominated Vegetable Oil | 15 | FDA ban effective 2024-07-01 · Restricted: Federal (FDA revoked) |
| Aspartame | 14 | 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 Mountain Dew 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 30/100) 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
- 30/100
The outlined point is Mountain Dew Code Red Zero Sugar Cherry Flavor, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (7). 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
- Mountain Dew Code Red Zero Sugar Cherry Flavor: 18 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 7 flagged.
- Diet Mountain Dew: 18 resolved ingredients, 5/100, 5 flagged.
- Mountain Dew, Game Fuel, Soda, Citrus Cherry, Citrus Cherry: 16 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Mountain Dew, Code Red, Flavored Dew Soda, Cherry, Cherry: 16 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Kickstart Orange Citrus: 29 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Mountain Dew Baja Blast Tropical Lime: 13 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Mountain Dew Baja Blast: 14 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Kickstart: 25 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Zero sugar soda: 14 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Mtn drew zero sugar: 20 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Mountain Dew Zero Sugar Spark: 14 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Zero Sugar Summer Freeze: 13 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Diet Mountain Dew: 14 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Diet Mountain Dew: 17 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- DIET MOUNTAIN DEW: 17 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Caffeine free Diet Mtn Dew: 16 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Diet Mountain Dew: 18 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Amp energy boost original citrus energy drink: 29 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Mountain Dew, Pitch Black Ii, Soda, Grape, Grape: 14 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Mountain Dew, Pitch Black Ii, Soda, Grape, Grape: 14 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Mountain Dew, Supernova, Soda, Strawberry Melon, And Ginseng, Strawberry Melon, And Ginseng: 14 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Soda, Supernova: 14 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Mountain Dew, Soda, Dark Berry, Mixed Berry, Mixed Berry: 13 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Mountain Dew, Soda, Dark Berry, Mixed Berry, Mixed Berry: 13 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Mountain dew code red: 14 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Concentrate: 15 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Mountain Dew, Zero Sugar, Trolli, Cherry-Lemon Naturally And Artificially Flavored, Dew: 12 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Diet mtn dew: 16 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Code Red (cherry soda): 16 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Mountain Dew Baja Blast Tropical Lime: 14 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Mountain Dew, Flavored Soda, Baja Blast , Baja Blast: 13 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Cranberry pomegranate: 12 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Mountain Dew, Soda: 14 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Mountain Dew Frost Bite: 13 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Mountain Dew FrostBite: 15 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Mtn Dew Uproar: 12 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Honeydew: 12 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- MTN DEW Caribbean splash: 12 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Game Fuel Citrus Blackberry: 11 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Code red cherry: 27 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- MTN DEW - (1 Liter): 14 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Glass mtn dew: 15 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Mountain Dew: 14 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Diet Soda: 14 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Dirty Dew Cream Soda: 12 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Mtn dew: 13 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Mountain Dew soda: 13 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Voltage dew charged soda: 11 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Kickstart energizing juice beverage: 20 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Mountain Dew: 14 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
Products by Mountain Dew
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 134 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 Mountain Dew: closest on tracked product count (184 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (57.1/100 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 Mountain Dew food safe? ▼
Mountain Dew has an average safety score of 57/100 across the 80 of 184 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 81.3% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Mountain Dew products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 184 Mountain Dew products. 80 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 104 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Mountain Dew catalog? ▼
Mountain Dew has 80 NOVA-classified products; 100% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 80 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Mountain Dew catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Mountain Dew concentrates in Beverages (38, 49% of this top-five); Beverages and beverages preparations (36); Plant-based foods and beverages (2); Soft-drinks (1).
Does Mountain Dew use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Mountain Dew 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 Mountain Dew 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 Mountain Dew Code Red Zero Sugar Cherry Flavor, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (7) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Yellow 5 appears in 41 scored Mountain Dew products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Mountain Dew's 57.1/100 average and 81.3% 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.
