Purple Cow
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Purple Cow, 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
Purple Cow averages 80.7/100 across the 91 of 100 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 92.3% 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.
- 80.7/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 91 scored products
- 100
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 92.3%
- 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 100 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Candy bar overload premium ice cream; Blue Moon And Black Cherry Flavored Ice Cream; Sherbet; 92.3% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 80.7/100. 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 | Purple Cow | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg safety score | 80.7/100 | Mid-range |
| Products tracked | 100 | OpenFoodFacts US index |
| Flagged ingredients | 92.3% | FDA SAFFA + CSPI flag overlap |
What the Data Says About Purple Cow
Purple Cow: 100 products tracked, 91 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 80.7/100, 92.3% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
92.3% of the scored Purple Cow 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 Purple Cow sits 12.1 points below that fleet-wide average. Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), Purple Cow's 92.3% flagged share is 74.3 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Purple Cow processing intensity
Purple Cow's NOVA-classified set is 91 products: 100% ultra-processed (Group 4, 91 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 91. 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
- 91 (100%)
Shelf mix
Where Purple Cow shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Purple Cow concentrates in Desserts (67, 74% of this top-five); Dairies (22); Beverages (1).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desserts | 67 | 78.3/100 | 97% |
| Dairies | 22 | 86.4/100 | 81.8% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Purple Cow's 92.3% flagged share is measured across 91 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.
Purple Cow flagged share vs large-brand cohort
92.3% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
92% 76th percentile is at or above the flagged share of 76% 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 (80.7/100) summarizes 91 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.
Purple Cow product score distribution
Brand average 80.7/100 across 91 scored products
81 27th percentile sits above 27% of the 91 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 (3%)
- 20–30
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 30–40
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 40–50
- 9 scored products (10%)
- 50–60
- 2 scored products (2%)
- 60–70
- 3 scored products (3%)
- 70–80
- 3 scored products (3%)
- 80–90
- 5 scored products (5%)
- 90–100
- 57 scored products (63%)
- 100 and above
- 7 scored products (8%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Purple Cow relies most on Carrageenan, an industry staple
Across the 91 Purple Cow products scored here, Carrageenan appears in 71. It is used by 2,390 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 | Purple Cow products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Carrageenan | 71 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Polysorbate 80 | 26 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Caramel Coloring | 19 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Red 40 | 13 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Blue 1 | 12 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 5 | 10 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Sucralose | 6 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Yellow 6 | 5 | 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 Purple Cow 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 (21.5 ingredients and 80/100) 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
- 21.5 ingredients
- Median score
- 80/100
The outlined point is Candy bar overload premium ice cream, 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
- Candy bar overload premium ice cream: 40 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 7 flagged.
- Blue Moon And Black Cherry Flavored Ice Cream: 20 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- Sherbet: 21 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 5 flagged.
- Premium ice cream: 23 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Purple cow, nonfat yogurt, light raspberry: 16 resolved ingredients, 30/100, 4 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 17 resolved ingredients, 40/100, 4 flagged.
- Sherbet: 17 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Sherbet: 16 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Tart & fruity sherbet: 27 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Premium Ice Cream: 37 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Purple cow, premium ice cream, peppermint, peppermint: 16 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Limited edition peppermint premium ice cream: 21 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Premium Ice Cream: 29 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Premium ice cream: 29 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Purple cow, low fat yogurt, strawberry: 14 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Brownie s'mores premium ice cream: 44 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Purple cow, nonfat light yogurt, peach: 17 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Purple cow, nonfat yogurt light, boston cream pie: 17 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Ice cream: 20 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Sherbet: 15 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium Ice Cream: 26 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium Ice Cream: 26 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Vanilla ice cream sandwiches: 13 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Light Nonfat Yogurt: 12 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Light Nonfat Yogurt: 14 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium ice cream: 52 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium Ice Cream: 52 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Low Fat Frozen Yogurt, Vanilla: 18 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Strawberry Low Fat Frozen Yogurt: 17 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Frozen yogurt, denali chocolate moose tracks: 36 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Low fat yogurt: 21 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- French vanilla premium ice cream: 16 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Mackinac island fudge premium ice cream: 30 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Strawberry Cheesecake Premium Ice Cream: 53 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice cream, butter pecan: 15 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Frozen dairy confection fudge bars: 14 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Purple cow, vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, chocolate swirl: 22 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Sundae Cups Ice Cream, Vanilla: 13 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Cream pops: 28 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Orange gliders, orange sherbet: 24 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice cream: 15 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice cream: 13 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 22 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice cream with chocolate sandwich cookies: 38 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Extreme! moose tracks premium ice cream: 31 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Premium ice cream: 27 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice cream cinnamon apple swirl: 27 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice cream: 28 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Pumpkin ice cream with pie crust pieces: 24 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Limited Edition Premium Ice Cream: 23 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
Products by Purple Cow
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 50 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 Purple Cow: closest on tracked product count (100 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (80.7/100 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 Purple Cow food safe? ▼
Purple Cow has an average safety score of 81/100 across the 91 of 100 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 92.3% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Purple Cow products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 100 Purple Cow products. 91 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 9 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Purple Cow catalog? ▼
Purple Cow has 91 NOVA-classified products; 100% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 91 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Purple Cow catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Purple Cow concentrates in Desserts (67, 74% of this top-five); Dairies (22); Beverages (1).
Does Purple Cow use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Purple Cow 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 Purple Cow 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 Candy bar overload premium ice cream, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (7) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Carrageenan appears in 71 scored Purple Cow products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Purple Cow's 80.7/100 average and 92.3% 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.
