Publix
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Publix, 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
Publix averages 93.5/100 across the 656 of 2,214 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 29.0% 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.
- 93.5/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 656 scored products
- 2,214
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 29.0%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 68.3%
- 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 2,214 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Spice Drops; Diet Soda, Orange; Publix, diet black cherry soda, black cherry; 29.0% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 93.5/100. 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 656 of 2,214 tracked Publix records (29.6%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 1,558 cannot be screened, so the 93.5/100 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 Publix
Publix: 2,214 products tracked, 656 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 93.5/100, 29.0% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 29.6% 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), Publix's 29.0% flagged share is 11 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Publix processing intensity
Publix's NOVA-classified set is 583 products: 68.3% ultra-processed (Group 4, 398 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 398. That ultra-processed share sits 10 points below the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Publix shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Publix concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (149, 45% of this top-five); Dairies (52); Snacks (50); Beverages (42); Meats and their products (35).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 101 | 98.4/100 | 9.9% |
| Snacks | 43 | 91.4/100 | 34.9% |
| Beverages | 34 | 74.3/100 | 82.4% |
| Dairies | 34 | 98.8/100 | 14.7% |
| Meats and their products | 24 | 94.8/100 | 33.3% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Publix's 29.0% flagged share is measured across 656 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.
Publix flagged share vs large-brand cohort
29.0% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
29% 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 (93.5/100) summarizes 656 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.
Publix product score distribution
Brand average 93.5/100 across 656 scored products
94 23rd percentile sits above 23% of the 656 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 (1%)
- 10–20
- 2 scored products (0%)
- 20–30
- 4 scored products (1%)
- 30–40
- 2 scored products (0%)
- 40–50
- 7 scored products (1%)
- 50–60
- 10 scored products (2%)
- 60–70
- 15 scored products (2%)
- 70–80
- 26 scored products (4%)
- 80–90
- 41 scored products (6%)
- 90–100
- 79 scored products (12%)
- 100 and above
- 466 scored products (71%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Publix relies most on Caramel Coloring, an industry staple
Across the 656 Publix products scored here, Caramel Coloring appears in 73. 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 | Publix products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Caramel Coloring | 73 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Carrageenan | 43 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Red 40 | 29 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Sucralose | 28 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Sodium Nitrite | 27 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Acesulfame Potassium | 20 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Blue 1 | 18 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 6 | 16 | 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 Publix 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 (12 ingredients and 50/100) 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
- 12 ingredients
- Median score
- 50/100
The outlined point is Spice Drops, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (5). 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
- Spice Drops: 14 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Diet Soda, Orange: 14 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Publix, diet black cherry soda, black cherry: 12 resolved ingredients, 15/100, 5 flagged.
- Publix jelly beans: 14 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Lemon Blueberry Decadent Bar, Lemon Blueberry: 62 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Sweetened Multi-Grain Cereal: 27 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Water Enhancer, Black Cherry: 21 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Diet Soda: 12 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Publix, diet soda, orange: 12 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Bear claw classic chocolate ice cream filled: 29 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Chocolate Raisins With Sea Salt Caramel Flavored Coating: 17 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Deli Fresh Popcorn: 11 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Publix, black cherry soda, black cherry: 9 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Chocolate Covered Bridge Mix: 37 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Publix, black cherry soda, black cherry: 9 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Publix, flavored soda, fruit punch: 12 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Chocolate cherish passion premium classic ice cream: 35 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Lemon Natural Flavored Drink: 16 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Black Cherry Soda, Black Cherry: 9 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Sliced Pepperoni: 12 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Syrup: 17 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Diet Ginger Ale: 8 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Diet Rootbeer: 8 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Caffeine Free Diet Cola: 10 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Diet Root Beer: 8 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Diet ginger ale: 8 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Caffeine Free Diet Cola: 9 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Diet Cola: 10 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Diet Ginger Ale: 8 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Caffeine Free Diet Cola: 10 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Sunny orange sherbert: 22 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Sherbet Rainbow Dream: 28 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Cuban Grab and Go Sandwich: 58 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Chef's Salad: 56 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Orange Soda, Orange: 10 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Publix, grape soda, grape: 11 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Peppermint Stick Ice Cream: 14 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Publix, soda, grape: 11 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Publix, flavored soda, orange: 10 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Blackjack cherry premium classic ice cream: 30 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Publix, flavored soda, orange: 10 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Soda: 11 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Cocktail Sauce: 18 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Water Enhancer, Strawberry Lemonade: 10 resolved ingredients, 60/100, 2 flagged.
- Nutrition Shake Plus: 42 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Diet Lemon Lime Soda, Lemon Lime: 8 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium classic vanilla ice cream with sweet: 20 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Diet lemonlime: 8 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Diet soda: 8 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Diet Root Beer: 7 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
Products by Publix
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 2,164 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 Publix: closest on tracked product count (2,214 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (93.5/100 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 Publix food safe? ▼
Publix has an average safety score of 94/100 across the 656 of 2214 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 29.0% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Publix products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 2,214 Publix products. 656 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 1,558 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Publix catalog? ▼
Publix has 583 NOVA-classified products; 68.3% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 398 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Publix catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Publix concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (149, 45% of this top-five); Dairies (52); Snacks (50); Beverages (42); Meats and their products (35).
Does Publix use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Publix 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 Publix 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 Spice Drops, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (5) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Caramel Coloring appears in 73 scored Publix products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Publix's 93.5/100 average and 29.0% 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.
