My Essentials
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for My Essentials, 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
My Essentials averages 91.1/100 across the 177 of 179 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 23.2% 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.
- 91.1/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 177 scored products
- 179
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 23.2%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 53.7%
- 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 179 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Low Calorie Drink Mix Iced Tea, Lemon; My essentials, iced tea, peach; Blasts Drinks; 23.2% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 91.1/100. 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.
| Signal | My Essentials | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg safety score | 91.1/100 | Above-average |
| Products tracked | 179 | OpenFoodFacts US index |
| Flagged ingredients | 23.2% | FDA SAFFA + CSPI flag overlap |
What the Data Says About My Essentials
My Essentials: 179 products tracked, 177 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 91.1/100, 23.2% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
23.2% of the scored My Essentials 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 My Essentials sits 1.7 points below that fleet-wide average. Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), My Essentials's 23.2% flagged share is 5.2 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
My Essentials processing intensity
My Essentials's NOVA-classified set is 175 products: 53.7% ultra-processed (Group 4, 94 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 94. That ultra-processed share sits 24.6 points below the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where My Essentials shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, My Essentials concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (61, 47% of this top-five); Snacks (24); Dairies (22); Condiments (16); Canned foods (8).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 61 | 99.3/100 | 4.9% |
| Snacks | 24 | 86.9/100 | 29.2% |
| Dairies | 22 | 94.8/100 | 22.7% |
| Condiments | 16 | 100/100 | 0% |
| Canned foods | 8 | 98.8/100 | 25% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
My Essentials's 23.2% flagged share is measured across 177 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.
My Essentials flagged share vs large-brand cohort
23.2% 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 (91.1/100) summarizes 177 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.
My Essentials product score distribution
Brand average 91.1/100 across 177 scored products
91 20th percentile sits above 20% of the 177 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
- 5 scored products (3%)
- 10–20
- 2 scored products (1%)
- 20–30
- 5 scored products (3%)
- 40–50
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 50–60
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 60–70
- 4 scored products (2%)
- 80–90
- 11 scored products (6%)
- 90–100
- 12 scored products (7%)
- 100 and above
- 136 scored products (77%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
My Essentials relies most on Red 40, an industry staple
Across the 177 My Essentials products scored here, Red 40 appears in 14. 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 | My Essentials products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Red 40 | 14 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Aspartame | 11 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Caramel Coloring | 11 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Blue 1 | 9 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Carrageenan | 8 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Yellow 5 | 8 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 6 | 8 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Acesulfame Potassium | 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 My Essentials 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 85/100) 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
- 85/100
The outlined point is Low Calorie Drink Mix Iced Tea, Lemon, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (6). 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
- Low Calorie Drink Mix Iced Tea, Lemon: 14 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- My essentials, iced tea, peach: 14 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Blasts Drinks: 13 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Blueberry Nonfat Yogurt: 15 resolved ingredients, 15/100, 5 flagged.
- Dinosaur snacks: 21 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Shark snacks: 22 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- My essentials, macaroni & cheese dinner: 28 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- My essentials, frosting, cream cheese: 29 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Frosting creamy fudge: 29 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- My essentials, low calorie drink mix, raspberry, lemonade: 13 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Freezer Pops: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Freeze Pops: 11 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- My essentials, low calorie drink mix, pink lemonade: 13 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- My essentials, nonfat yogurt, vanilla: 11 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- My essentials, sugar free pancake syrup: 11 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Tropical Fruit Flavored Snack: 18 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- My essentials, milk chocolate frosting: 29 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Pancake Mix: 27 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- My essentials, nonfat yogurt, blueberry: 13 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- My essentials, nonfat yogurt, lemon: 14 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Nonfat yogurt: 14 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- My essentials, nonfat yogurt, raspberry: 13 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 16 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Sandwich Bread: 39 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Enriched Hamburger Buns: 29 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Hot Dog Buns: 28 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Sliced & Roasted Turkey Breast & White Turkey: 11 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- My essentials, sliced cooked ham: 8 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Lemon Berry Punch, Lemon, Berry: 16 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Sugar Cookie Mix: 20 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- My essentials, light pancake syrup: 11 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- My essentials, onion soup mix: 11 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Steak Sauce: 16 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- My essentials, pancake syrup, butter: 11 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Steak Cut French Fried Potatoes: 13 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Broth: 10 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- My essentials, beefy onion soup mix: 10 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Whipped Topping: 10 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Stock, beef: 22 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Sourdough pretzel pieces: 30 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Chocolate Chip Brownies: 48 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Enriched Elbow Macaroni Product: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- White Granulated Sugar: 1 resolved ingredient, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- My essentials, chunk light tuna in water: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Chuck light tuna in water: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- My essentials, taco size flour tortillas: 32 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- My essentials, tomato paste: 1 resolved ingredient, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- My essentials, tomato sauce: 9 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- My essentials, tomato sauce: 9 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- My essentials, 100% natural tomato sauce: 9 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
Products by My Essentials
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 129 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 My Essentials: closest on tracked product count (179 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (91.1/100 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 My Essentials food safe? ▼
My Essentials has an average safety score of 91/100 across the 177 of 179 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 23.2% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many My Essentials products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 179 My Essentials products. 177 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 2 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the My Essentials catalog? ▼
My Essentials has 175 NOVA-classified products; 53.7% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 94 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the My Essentials catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, My Essentials concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (61, 47% of this top-five); Snacks (24); Dairies (22); Condiments (16); Canned foods (8).
Does My Essentials use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which My Essentials 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 My Essentials 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 Low Calorie Drink Mix Iced Tea, Lemon, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (6) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Red 40 appears in 14 scored My Essentials products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare My Essentials's 91.1/100 average and 23.2% 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.
