Smart Balance
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Smart Balance, 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
Smart Balance averages 99.4/100 across the 25 of 29 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 4.0% 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.
- 99.4/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 25 scored products
- 29
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 4.0%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 72%
- 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
Look for consistency across the range
The catalog shows a small but varied range led by Omega-3 Buttery Spread; Unpopped Popcorn; Buttery Spread. Across 29 tracked products, the mean is 99.4/100 and 4.0% carry a separately flagged ingredient. That is enough to compare formulations inside this captured range, but not enough to assume every current package matches. Start with the lowest-scoring product rows and confirm the ingredient panel when a specific additive matters.
| Signal | Smart Balance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg safety score | 99.4/100 | Above-average |
| Products tracked | 29 | OpenFoodFacts US index |
| Flagged ingredients | 4.0% | FDA SAFFA + CSPI flag overlap |
What the Data Says About Smart Balance
Smart Balance: 29 products tracked, 25 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 99.4/100, 4.0% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Smart Balance's labelled portfolio averages at least 95/100 in this snapshot. Open the individual rows before extending that aggregate to a specific package or formulation. Scoring methodology + dye-pledge context →
Across the 894,137 products we index overall, the average safety score is 92.8/100, and Smart Balance sits 6.6 points above that fleet-wide average.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Smart Balance processing intensity
Smart Balance's NOVA-classified set is 25 products: 72% ultra-processed (Group 4, 18 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 18. That ultra-processed share sits 6.3 points below the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Smart Balance shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Smart Balance concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (8, 50% of this top-five); Fats (4); Snacks (3); Condiments (1).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 8 | 98.1/100 | 12.5% |
| Fats | 4 | 100/100 | 0% |
| Snacks | 3 | 100/100 | 0% |
Portfolio shape
How scores cluster inside this brand
The brand average (99.4/100) summarizes 25 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.
Smart Balance product score distribution
Brand average 99.4/100 across 25 scored products
99 4th percentile sits above 4% of the 25 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
- 80–90
- 1 scored products (4%)
- 100 and above
- 24 scored products (96%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
TBHQ is the flagged ingredient Smart Balance uses most
Across the 25 Smart Balance products scored here, TBHQ appears in 1. Only 391 other brands here use it (1.1%), 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 | Smart Balance products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| TBHQ | 1 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
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 25 concern-sorted Smart Balance 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 100/100) 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
- 25
- Median label
- 13 ingredients
- Median score
- 100/100
The outlined point is Omega-3 Buttery Spread, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (1). 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
- Omega-3 Buttery Spread: 21 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Unpopped Popcorn: 9 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Buttery Spread: 22 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Buttery spread original with flaxseed oil: 19 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Low Sodium Whipped Imitation Butter: 19 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Smart Balance Whipped Buttery Spread: 19 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Smart balance, buttery spread, light: 15 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Light Buttery Spread: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Light With Flaxseed Oil Buttery Spread: 15 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Original Buttery Spread: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Organic Whipped Buttery Spread: 13 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Smart balance, spreadable butter & non-gmo canola oil blend: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Purely Better Buttery Spread: 10 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Spreadable butter and canola & extra virgin olive oil blend: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Spreadable Butter: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Smart balance, heart right, light buttery spread: 19 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Light Mayonnaise: 21 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Smart balance, non-stick cooking spray, original: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Smart balance, smart movie-style, deluxe microwave popcorn: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Smart balance, deluxe microwave popcorn, light butter: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Smart balance, smart 'n healthy!, deluxe microwave popcorn: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Select Blend Of Vegetable Oils: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Peanut & Flaxseed Oil Spread: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Chunky Peanut Butter & Flaxseed Oil Blend: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Light Mayonnaise Dressing: 21 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
Products by Smart Balance
Showing 29 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first).
Nationwide brands with similar catalog profiles
Two PlainFoodSafe-derived peer sets for Smart Balance: closest on tracked product count (29 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (99.4/100 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood, not a largest-catalog strip.
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 Smart Balance food safe? ▼
Smart Balance has an average safety score of 99/100 across the 25 of 29 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 4.0% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Smart Balance products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 29 Smart Balance products. 25 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 4 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Smart Balance catalog? ▼
Smart Balance has 25 NOVA-classified products; 72% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 18 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Smart Balance catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Smart Balance concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (8, 50% of this top-five); Fats (4); Snacks (3); Condiments (1).
Does Smart Balance use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Smart Balance 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 Smart Balance 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 Omega-3 Buttery Spread, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (1) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- TBHQ appears in 1 scored Smart Balance products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Smart Balance's 99.4/100 average and 4.0% 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.
