Capsicum Extract

Capsicum Extract carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 48 indexed US food products.

Safety score 60.0%

3/5 from FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine

How common is vs other flagged additives?

Number of indexed products containing each of the most common flagged additives — Capsicum Extract highlighted.

Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Caramel Coloring22612Red 4021595Yellow 518987Carrageenan17853Blue 116643Yellow 613560Sucralose10490Capsicum Extract48
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Safety Score
3/5

Safety Assessment

Capsicum Extract has a moderate safety profile (3/5). While approved for use, some studies or consumer advocacy groups have raised questions about certain aspects of this ingredient. Consumers who prefer caution may wish to limit intake.

What the Data Says About

Capsicum Extract currently appears in 48 products across the OpenFoodFacts catalog we index, which gives a concrete measure of its footprint on US grocery shelves. Our internal safety score of 3/5 synthesizes FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Chemical Cuisine classification. These two frameworks capture different questions: regulators ask whether exposure at typical intake is acceptable, while consumer-advocacy groups examine cumulative dietary load and vulnerable-population risk.

Capsicum Extract serves one or more technical functions in food manufacturing — stabilization, flavor, preservation, or structural role — which explains its presence across multiple product categories in our database. Inspection and outbreak records frequently trace back to control failures around functional additives, whether through batch contamination, undisclosed substitutions, or labeling mismatches that trigger recall classifications by the FDA.

No specific concern flags are attached to Capsicum Extract in our current data snapshot beyond the regulatory and CSPI classifications above. That does not rule out individual sensitivity reactions, and anyone managing allergies, elimination diets, or chronic conditions should verify with a qualified healthcare professional before relying on population-level ratings.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Regulatory and safety classifications for Capsicum Extract
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Not listed 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 48 products OpenFoodFacts

FDA SAFFA database, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings, OpenFoodFacts product index. See methodology.

Products Containing

Showing 48 of 48 products

365 everyday value, barbecue sauce
365 Everyday Value, Whole Foods Market Inc.
95/100
365 everyday value, sriracha sunflower kernels
365 Everyday Value, Whole Foods Market Inc.
100/100
A-sha Dry Noodle Keroppi
A-Sha
95/100
Archer farms, seasoning sauce, chili cilantro, chili cilantro
Archer Farms, Target Stores
100/100
Austin Crackers Pepper Jack 1.38Oz
Unknown
25/100
Barbecue-flavored chicken breast, barbecue
Applegat naturals, Applegate Naturals, Applegate Farms Llc
95/100
Belvoir fruit farms, ginger cordial
Belvoir Fruit Farms
100/100
Caesar dressing, caesar
Unknown
100/100
Calabrian chile pepper infused extra virgin olive oil, calabrian chile pepper
Unknown
100/100
Campbell's soup tomato
Unknown
100/100
Campbell's soup tomato
Unknown
100/100
Chicken with sweet chili chicken bar, sweet chili
Unknown
100/100
Chorizo Fresh Sausage
Publix
100/100
Cocktail syrup
Four Blue Palms Inc.
100/100
Crunchy Ramen Snack
Baby Star
85/100
French fry dipping sauce
Unknown
100/100
Ginger Beer
Powell & Mahoney
100/100
Habanero Lime Salsa With Red Onion
Salpica
100/100
Hakka Style Noddle With Chili Sauce
A-Sha
95/100
Hand Pulled Style Noodles with Friendly Scallion Sauce
A-Sha
95/100
Harwood smoked turkey sausage
Unknown
85/100
Hot Sauce
Southwest Specialty Food Inc.
100/100
Japanese Style Peanut
Samurai
100/100
Keebler Cracker Packs Pepper Jack 1.38oz
Unknown
25/100
Kettle roasted candied pecans
Unknown
100/100
Maggi Atta Noodles
Nestle
100/100
Meat stick
Unknown
100/100
Meatless buffalo dippers
Quorn
95/100
Oats Noodles With Millet
Maggi
100/100
Ore Ida Zesty Straight
Ore Ida
100/100
Pepper jack sandwich crackers, pepper jack
Unknown
25/100
Pepper jack sandwich crackers, pepper jack
Unknown
25/100
Pizza Cashews
Good And Gather
100/100
Pumpkin seeds
Unknown
100/100
Red Hot Blues
Garden of Eatin
100/100
Rice cakes
Unknown
100/100
Roasted seaweed crisps snacks
Annie Chun's, Annie Chun's Inc.
100/100
Salsa roja
Unknown
100/100
Salsa roja
Unknown
100/100
Sam Mills, Tortilla Chips, Chili
Sam Mills Usa Llc
100/100
Seaweed Chip, Hot & Spicy
Ocean's Halo
100/100
Shrimp chip
Calbee
100/100
Shrimp chips Hot Garlic CALBEE
Calbee
100/100
Spicy caribbean jerk sauce & marinade, spicy
Whole Foods Market, Whole Foods Market Inc.
100/100
Texas true barbecue sauce
365 Everyday Value
95/100
The Seaweed Snack
Unknown
100/100
The Seaweed Snack
Ocean's Halo
100/100
Veg Atta Masala Noodles
Maggi
100/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Capsicum Extract safe to eat?

Capsicum Extract has a safety score of 3/5. Always check with a healthcare provider if you have specific dietary concerns.

What products contain Capsicum Extract?

Capsicum Extract is found in 48 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does Capsicum Extract do in food?

Capsicum Extract serves various technical functions in food manufacturing and processing.

Where does this ingredient safety data come from?

Safety data comes from the FDA's SAFFA (Substances Added to Food) database, CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) ratings, and the OpenFoodFacts product database. Product counts reflect items cataloged in OpenFoodFacts.