Specially Selected
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Specially Selected, 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
Specially Selected averages 98.8/100 across the 242 of 486 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 8.7% 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.
- 98.8/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 242 scored products
- 486
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 8.7%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 75.1%
- 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 486 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins White Wine Salami; Chianti Red Wine Salami; Sopressata Salami; 8.7% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 98.8/100. 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 242 of 486 tracked Specially Selected records (49.8%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 244 cannot be screened, so the 98.8/100 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 Specially Selected
Specially Selected: 486 products tracked, 242 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 98.8/100, 8.7% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 49.8% 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), Specially Selected's 8.7% flagged share is 9.3 points below that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Specially Selected processing intensity
Specially Selected's NOVA-classified set is 225 products: 75.1% ultra-processed (Group 4, 169 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 169. That ultra-processed share sits 3.2 points below the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Specially Selected shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Specially Selected concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (49, 43% of this top-five); Snacks (27); Condiments (17); Seafood (11); Meals (10).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 45 | 100/100 | 0% |
| Snacks | 20 | 99.5/100 | 10% |
| Condiments | 17 | 99.1/100 | 11.8% |
| Dairies | 9 | 99.4/100 | 11.1% |
| Meals | 9 | 100/100 | 0% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Specially Selected's 8.7% flagged share is measured across 242 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.
Specially Selected flagged share vs large-brand cohort
8.7% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
9% 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 (98.8/100) summarizes 242 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.
Specially Selected product score distribution
Brand average 98.8/100 across 242 scored products
99 7th percentile sits above 7% of the 242 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
- 70–80
- 4 scored products (2%)
- 80–90
- 7 scored products (3%)
- 90–100
- 10 scored products (4%)
- 100 and above
- 221 scored products (91%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Sodium Nitrite is the flagged ingredient Specially Selected uses most
Across the 242 Specially Selected products scored here, Sodium Nitrite appears in 10. 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 | Specially Selected products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium Nitrite | 10 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Carrageenan | 6 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Caramel Coloring | 5 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Sodium Nitrate | 4 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Polysorbate 80 | 1 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Sucralose | 1 | 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 Specially Selected 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 (14 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
- 50
- Median label
- 14 ingredients
- Median score
- 100/100
The outlined point is White Wine Salami, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (2). 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
- White Wine Salami: 12 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Chianti Red Wine Salami: 12 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Sopressata Salami: 10 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Genoa Salami: 10 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Sticky Toffee Pudding Mini Cakes: 32 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Vodka Sauce: 18 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Cocktail Salami Honey & Bourbon: 14 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Bacon Wrapped Shrimp: 12 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Panino Tray: 24 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Sweet mustard kale bacon pizza: 49 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with jalapeno & cream cheese: 20 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Italian Dry Salami: 8 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Brioche Stuffing Mix: 27 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Pizzelle anise flavored italian style cookies, anise: 9 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Zero Sugar Snack Bites Turkey Sausage: 10 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Mini Cream Puffs: 26 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Key Lime Parfait: 15 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough: 43 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Glaze with Strawberry & Balsamic Vinegar of Modena: 7 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena: 7 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Vanilla Crème Brûlée: 11 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- All Natural Brie Cheese: 3 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Vinaigrette, Garlic: 11 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Black bean and corn salsa: 16 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Gourmet Spreadable Cheese: 20 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- New york aged white cheddar cheese: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Butter cookie: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Specially selected, 100% pure maple syrup: 1 resolved ingredient, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Prosciutto Panino: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Specially selected, stone baked pizza, mozzarella,cherry tomato and argula: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Torino Cookies: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Gouda Cheese Creamy With A Sweet And Robust Flavor: 5 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Stone Baked Pizza: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Specially selected premium raspberry fruit spread: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Pita Chips: 20 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Pita Chips: 10 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Flatbread Pizza: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Flatbread Pizza: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Specially selected mild mango peach salsa: 11 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Almonds Dark Chocolate Biscotti: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- French Bread: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Cookie dough: 35 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Crumbled Goat Cheese With Sun Dried Tomato And Basil: 9 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- White Chocolate: 20 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Chocolate Covered Wafers, Milk Chocolate: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Snowball Artisan Cookies: 14 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Specially selected, snickerdoodle artisan cookies, cinnamon: 15 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Chocolate Covered Fingers Assortment Cookies: 14 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- 100% pure cranberry juice, cranberry: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Almond Thins, Delicate, Crisp Cookies Flavored With Butter And Almonds: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
Products by Specially Selected
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 436 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 Specially Selected: closest on tracked product count (486 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (98.8/100 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 Specially Selected food safe? ▼
Specially Selected has an average safety score of 99/100 across the 242 of 486 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 8.7% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Specially Selected products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 486 Specially Selected products. 242 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 244 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Specially Selected catalog? ▼
Specially Selected has 225 NOVA-classified products; 75.1% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 169 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Specially Selected catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Specially Selected concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (49, 43% of this top-five); Snacks (27); Condiments (17); Seafood (11); Meals (10).
Does Specially Selected use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Specially Selected 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 Specially Selected 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 White Wine Salami, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (2) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Sodium Nitrite appears in 10 scored Specially Selected products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Specially Selected's 98.8/100 average and 8.7% 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.
