Sam's Choice
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Sam's Choice, 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
Sam's Choice averages 93.6/100 across the 179 of 225 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 35.8% 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.
- 93.6/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 179 scored products
- 225
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 35.8%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 78.6%
- 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 225 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Buttons; Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Peanuts; Meat Lover Pan Pizza; 35.8% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 93.6/100. 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 179 of 225 tracked Sam's Choice records (79.6%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 46 cannot be screened, so the 93.6/100 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 Sam's Choice
Sam's Choice: 225 products tracked, 179 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 93.6/100, 35.8% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 79.6% 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), Sam's Choice's 35.8% flagged share is 17.8 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Sam's Choice processing intensity
Sam's Choice's NOVA-classified set is 173 products: 78.6% ultra-processed (Group 4, 136 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 136. That ultra-processed share sits 0.3 points above the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Sam's Choice shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Sam's Choice concentrates in Snacks (26, 22% of this top-five); Frozen foods (25); Plant-based foods and beverages (24); Condiments (21); Meals (20).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen foods | 25 | 93.8/100 | 48% |
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 23 | 99.3/100 | 4.3% |
| Snacks | 22 | 89.8/100 | 22.7% |
| Condiments | 21 | 98.3/100 | 23.8% |
| Meals | 19 | 81.3/100 | 52.6% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Sam's Choice's 35.8% flagged share is measured across 179 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.
Sam's Choice flagged share vs large-brand cohort
35.8% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
36% 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 (93.6/100) summarizes 179 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.
Sam's Choice product score distribution
Brand average 93.6/100 across 179 scored products
94 26th percentile sits above 26% of the 179 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 (2%)
- 20–30
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 50–60
- 6 scored products (3%)
- 70–80
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 80–90
- 18 scored products (10%)
- 90–100
- 35 scored products (20%)
- 100 and above
- 115 scored products (64%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Sodium Nitrite is the flagged ingredient Sam's Choice uses most
Across the 179 Sam's Choice products scored here, Sodium Nitrite appears in 22. Only 1,491 other brands here use it (4.2%), which makes it a more particular choice than the flags that dominate the catalogue. 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 | Sam's Choice products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium Nitrite | 22 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Carrageenan | 21 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Caramel Coloring | 16 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| BHA | 7 | Restricted: California (warning required under Prop 65) |
| BHT | 7 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Blue 1 | 4 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Polysorbate 80 | 4 | 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) |
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 Sam's Choice 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 (31 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
- 31 ingredients
- Median score
- 85/100
The outlined point is Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Buttons, 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 Coated Milk Chocolate Buttons: 21 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 7 flagged.
- Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Peanuts: 22 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 7 flagged.
- Meat Lover Pan Pizza: 79 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 5 flagged.
- Recipe Mix - Ins, Peanut Lovers' Blend: 29 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Stuffed Crust Pizza: 75 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 4 flagged.
- Personal Big, Bold & Meaty Pizza: 112 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 4 flagged.
- Stuffed Crust Pizza: 64 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Sam's choice, personal double pepperoni pizza: 77 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Thin Crust Supreme Pizza: 62 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Sam's Choice Rising Crust 5 Meat Pizza: 81 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Italian Deli Style Meats Pizza: 42 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Gourmet Twice Baked Potato: 40 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 42 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 20 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Ice Cream, Cherry Chocolate Amaretto: 17 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Sausage With Chipotle & Monterey Jack Cheese: 13 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Fully- Cooked Sausage: 10 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Ham And Cheese Pizza: 33 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Cookies: 47 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Turkey Bacon Slices: 9 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Bacon Double Steakburger With Cheese: 50 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Sam's choice, mini angus beef & bacon cheeseburgers: 39 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Mini Potato Skins: 30 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Cheese Franks In Blanket: 52 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Sweet Cornbread Franks: 35 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken: 17 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Sam's choice, bacon vinaigrette dressing: 27 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Mac & cheese, cheddar & bacon: 52 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Sam's choice, beef franks in a panko & cheese blanket: 48 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Sweet Hawaiian 8 Hot Dog Buns: 36 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- wild caught bacon wrapped scallops: 9 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Lasagna: 45 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 22 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 29 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 25 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 50 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Ice Cream: 25 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Frozen Yogurt: 23 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Frozen Yogurt: 21 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Thinly Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey: 7 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Thinly Sliced Black Forest Ham: 10 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Thinly Sliced Mesquite Smoked Turkey: 7 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Thinly Sliced Honey Ham: 10 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Sweet rich bbq sauce: 18 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Sweet Rich Bbq Sauce: 18 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Honey Barbecue Mustard: 36 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Mustard: 32 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Mini Crustless Quiche Lorraine With Bacon: 18 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Stuffed Crust Pizza: 85 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Slow Cooker Meatball Strongoff With Noodle & Sauce: 55 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
Products by Sam's Choice
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 175 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 Sam's Choice: closest on tracked product count (225 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (93.6/100 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 Sam's Choice food safe? ▼
Sam's Choice has an average safety score of 94/100 across the 179 of 225 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 35.8% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Sam's Choice products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 225 Sam's Choice products. 179 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 46 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Sam's Choice catalog? ▼
Sam's Choice has 173 NOVA-classified products; 78.6% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 136 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Sam's Choice catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Sam's Choice concentrates in Snacks (26, 22% of this top-five); Frozen foods (25); Plant-based foods and beverages (24); Condiments (21); Meals (20).
Does Sam's Choice use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Sam's Choice 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 Sam's Choice 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 Coated Milk Chocolate Buttons, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (7) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Sodium Nitrite appears in 22 scored Sam's Choice products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Sam's Choice's 93.6/100 average and 35.8% 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.
