Trader Joe's
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Trader Joe's, 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
Trader Joe's averages 99.7/100 across the 2,764 of 7,503 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 5.0% 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.
- 99.7/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 2,764 scored products
- 7,503
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 5.0%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 62.2%
- 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 7,503 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins TZATZIKI CREAMY GARLIC CUCUMBER DIP; LATTE; S’mores Ice Cream; 5.0% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 99.7/100. 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.
Catalog evidence
Ingredient-list coverage comes before the score
Only 2,764 of 7,503 tracked Trader Joe's records (36.8%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 4,739 cannot be screened, so the 99.7/100 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 Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's: 7,503 products tracked, 2,764 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 99.7/100, 5.0% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 36.8% 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), Trader Joe's's 5.0% flagged share is 13 points below that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Trader Joe's processing intensity
Trader Joe's's NOVA-classified set is 2,482 products: 62.2% ultra-processed (Group 4, 1,545 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 1,545. That ultra-processed share sits 16.1 points below the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Trader Joe's shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Trader Joe's concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (918, 50% of this top-five); Snacks (432); Dairies (209); Condiments (167); Meals (118).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 766 | 99.9/100 | 2.1% |
| Snacks | 372 | 99.7/100 | 4.8% |
| Dairies | 168 | 99.8/100 | 2.4% |
| Condiments | 146 | 99.6/100 | 5.5% |
| Meals | 100 | 99.6/100 | 6% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Trader Joe's's 5.0% flagged share is measured across 2,764 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.
Trader Joe's flagged share vs large-brand cohort
5.0% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
5% 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 (99.7/100) summarizes 2,764 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.
Trader Joe's product score distribution
Brand average 99.7/100 across 2,764 scored products
100 3rd percentile sits above 3% of the 2,764 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 (0%)
- 80–90
- 13 scored products (0%)
- 90–100
- 125 scored products (5%)
- 100 and above
- 2,625 scored products (95%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Trader Joe's relies most on Caramel Coloring, an industry staple
Across the 2,764 Trader Joe's products scored here, Caramel Coloring appears in 68. It is used by 3,551 other brands in this database (10.1% 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 | Trader Joe's products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Caramel Coloring | 68 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Carrageenan | 67 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Titanium Dioxide | 8 | Restricted: EU (banned); California (under review) |
| Sodium Nitrite | 2 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Sucralose | 2 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Propyl Gallate | 1 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Trans Fat | 1 | FDA ban effective 2018-06-18 · Restricted: Federal (FDA banned) |
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 Trader Joe's 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 (27 ingredients and 95/100) 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
- 27 ingredients
- Median score
- 95/100
The outlined point is TZATZIKI CREAMY GARLIC CUCUMBER DIP, 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
- TZATZIKI CREAMY GARLIC CUCUMBER DIP: 25 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- LATTE: 18 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- S’mores Ice Cream: 28 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Carne Asada autentica: 41 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Mildly Sweet & Spicy Beef & Broccoli: 44 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Cakes: 35 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Apple & Pumpkin Hand Pies: 33 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Root Beer Float Bars: 18 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Pretzel Bread Pudding with salted caramel sauce: 35 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- A Dozen Sweet Bites: 86 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Glaze: 15 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Sparkling Blackcurrant and Cherry Flavoured Spring Water: 5 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Lasagne four layers of egg pasta with grana padano bechamel: 52 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Coconut Creamer: 12 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Candy Cane Chocolate Covered Almonds: 19 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Candy Coated Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds: 17 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Jingly Jangly: 57 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Strawberry yogurt O's: 34 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Char Siu: 46 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Huel V3.1 Powder - Salted Caramel: 53 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Chocolate Lava Cakes: 36 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Beef Tamales: 22 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- CHICKEN & CHEESE TAMALES: 26 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Light Sour Cream: 11 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- CHEESE & GREEN CHILE TAMALES: 17 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- mini hold the cone trader joes: 33 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- High Fiber Cereal: 22 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Chicken Drummellas: 17 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- All Natural Barbecue Auce: 13 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Heavy Cream: 3 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Bold & Smoky Kansas City Style Barbecue Sauce: 12 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Beef Shepherd's Pie: 49 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Organic Lowfat Cottage Cheese: 19 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Chocolate Cupcakes: 30 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- this pumpkin walks into a bar... CEREAL BARS: 51 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Trader joe's, steak sauce: 35 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Steak & Stout Pies: 50 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- French Macarons: 30 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Pumpkin Flavored Joe-Joe's: 23 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce: 29 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Trader joe's, uncured bacon jam, bacon: 23 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Brownie Crisp: 30 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: 3 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Rustic apple tart: 37 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Turkey Summer Sausage: 10 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Honey Walnut Shrimp: 54 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Hold the cone: 23 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Mini Hold The Cone! Ice Cream Cones Chocolate: 22 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Brownie Crisp Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches: 50 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Stirring Spoon with Mini Marshmallows: 15 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
Products by Trader Joe's
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 7,453 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 Trader Joe's: closest on tracked product count (7,503 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (99.7/100 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 Trader Joe's food safe? ▼
Trader Joe's has an average safety score of 100/100 across the 2,764 of 7503 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 5.0% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Trader Joe's products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 7,503 Trader Joe's products. 2,764 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 4,739 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Trader Joe's catalog? ▼
Trader Joe's has 2,482 NOVA-classified products; 62.2% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 1,545 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Trader Joe's catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Trader Joe's concentrates in Plant-based foods and beverages (918, 50% of this top-five); Snacks (432); Dairies (209); Condiments (167); Meals (118).
Does Trader Joe's use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Trader Joe's 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 Trader Joe's 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 TZATZIKI CREAMY GARLIC CUCUMBER DIP, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (2) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Caramel Coloring appears in 68 scored Trader Joe's products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Trader Joe's's 99.7/100 average and 5.0% 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.
