Tesco
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Tesco, 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
Tesco averages 98.9/100 across the 159 of 680 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 6.9% 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.
- 98.9/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 159 scored products
- 680
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 6.9%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 84.9%
- 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 680 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins LEMON ZERO; Free From Rocky Road Mini Bites; 4 Cherry Bakewell Tarts; 6.9% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 98.9/100. 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 159 of 680 tracked Tesco records (23.4%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 521 cannot be screened, so the 98.9/100 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 Tesco
Tesco: 680 products tracked, 159 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 98.9/100, 6.9% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 23.4% 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), Tesco's 6.9% flagged share is 11.1 points below that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Tesco processing intensity
Tesco's NOVA-classified set is 139 products: 84.9% ultra-processed (Group 4, 118 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 118. That ultra-processed share sits 6.6 points above the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Tesco shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Tesco concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (50, 50% of this top-five); Snacks (35); Dairies (5); Madeira-cake (5); Meats and their products (5).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 34 | 100/100 | 0% |
| Snacks | 17 | 97.1/100 | 17.6% |
| Condiments | 4 | 100/100 | 0% |
| Dairies | 4 | 100/100 | 0% |
| Sandwiches | 3 | 100/100 | 0% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Tesco's 6.9% flagged share is measured across 159 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.
Tesco flagged share vs large-brand cohort
6.9% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
7% 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 (98.9/100) summarizes 159 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.
Tesco product score distribution
Brand average 98.9/100 across 159 scored products
99 7th percentile sits above 7% of the 159 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
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 80–90
- 9 scored products (6%)
- 90–100
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 100 and above
- 148 scored products (93%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Titanium Dioxide is the flagged ingredient Tesco uses most
Across the 159 Tesco products scored here, Titanium Dioxide appears in 7. Only 1,379 other brands here use it (3.9%), 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 | Tesco products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Titanium Dioxide | 7 | Restricted: EU (banned); California (under review) |
| Sodium Nitrite | 2 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Acesulfame Potassium | 1 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Carrageenan | 1 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| 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 Tesco 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 (23 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
- 23 ingredients
- Median score
- 100/100
The outlined point is LEMON ZERO, 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
- LEMON ZERO: 17 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Free From Rocky Road Mini Bites: 32 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- 4 Cherry Bakewell Tarts: 58 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Tesco Custard Doughnut 5 Pack: 38 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Tesco Party Cupcakes 12 Pack: 81 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Tesco Free From Angel Slices 5 Pack: 36 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Stone Baked Pepperoni Pizza: 35 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Tesco 2 Lemon And White Chocolate Buns: 55 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Unicorn Cupcakes: 51 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Chicken and bacon: 11 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Tesco Bakewell Tart 2 Pack: 50 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Flame raisins: 1 resolved ingredient, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Fruit, Nuts and seeds: 10 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Bloomer 800G: 20 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Split Tin Bread 800G: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Sandwich Loaf 800G: 24 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Malted Grain Loaf 800G: 23 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Farmhouse Bread 400G: 25 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Malted Grain Loaf 400G: 19 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Scotch Morning Rolls 6 Pack: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Big Bite Cheese Rolls 6 Pack: 25 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- J G Ross Aberdeenshire Buttery 6 pack: 15 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Jam Doughnut 5 Pack: 35 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Bloomer Sliced 400G: 20 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Chocolate Twist 2 Pack: 35 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Wholemeal Loaf Sliced 800G: 20 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Whole Seed Loaf 800G: 30 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Whole Seed Sliced Cob 400G: 23 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Rhubarb Pie: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Plain Scones 4 Pack: 14 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Split Tin Bread 400G: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Whole Seed Cob 400G: 23 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Cherry Pie: 23 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Large White Bap 4 Pack: 23 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Tiger Rolls 6 Pack: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Split Tin Sliced Bread 800G: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Malted Grain Loaf Sliced 800G: 23 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco White Snack Roll 12 Pack: 23 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Split Tin Sliced Bread 400G: 18 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Hot Dog Rolls 6 Pack: 23 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Root Vegetable Mash: 9 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Single Jam Doughnuts: 27 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Egg Noodles: 9 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Tiger Bloomer 800G: 24 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Tiger Sliced Loaf 800G: 24 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Farmhouse Sliced Bread 400G: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Sandwich Loaf Sliced 800G: 23 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Tiger Sliced Loaf 400G: 24 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Crusty White Bloomer Sliced 800G: 20 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Tesco Whole Seed Sliced Loaf 800G: 30 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
Products by Tesco
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 630 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 Tesco: closest on tracked product count (680 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (98.9/100 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 Tesco food safe? ▼
Tesco has an average safety score of 99/100 across the 159 of 680 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 6.9% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Tesco products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 680 Tesco products. 159 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 521 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Tesco catalog? ▼
Tesco has 139 NOVA-classified products; 84.9% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 118 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Tesco catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Tesco concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (50, 50% of this top-five); Snacks (35); Dairies (5); Madeira-cake (5); Meats and their products (5).
Does Tesco use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Tesco 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 Tesco 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 LEMON ZERO, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (2) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Titanium Dioxide appears in 7 scored Tesco products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Tesco's 98.9/100 average and 6.9% 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.
