Pecan

Pecan carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 189 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 — Pecan highlighted.

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

Caramel Coloring22612Red 4021595Yellow 518987Carrageenan17853Blue 116643Yellow 613560Sucralose10490Pecan189
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Safety Score
3/5

Safety Assessment

Pecan 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

Pecan currently appears in 189 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.

Pecan 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 Pecan 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 Pecan
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Not listed 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 189 products OpenFoodFacts

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

Products Containing

Showing 50 of 189 products

4 pk Assorted Yeast Raised Donuts
Wegmans
80/100
51% dark chocolate, pecan coconut
Tony's Chocolonely
100/100
Almond crunch cookies
Voortman Bakery
100/100
Apple sweet rolls with icing.
Unknown
45/100
Banana - pecan granola, bananas foster
Unknown
100/100
BANANA NUT MUFFIN MIX
Martha White
100/100
Belgian Truffle
Trader Joe’s
95/100
Big Cone With Milk Candy
La Molienda
100/100
Blueberry oat crumble
Planet Oat
100/100
Body Fortress
Unknown
70/100
Butter Almond Thins
Trader Joe's
100/100
Butter pecan ice cream
Tillamook
100/100
Butter Pound Cake
The Bakery
100/100
Caramel apple & artisan grain blend
Melanies Medleys
100/100
Caramel Cashew Trail Mix
Signature Select
0/100
Caramel Coffee Almonds
Trader Joe's
100/100
Caramel Cubes
Handy Candy
100/100
Cereal, peanut butter
Unknown
100/100
Cereal, peanut butter
Unknown
100/100
chia seeds
O Organics
100/100
Chocolate
Sherwood, Elmer Chocolate
100/100
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover's Nut Mix
Trader Joe's
100/100
Chocolate chip cinnamon
Unknown
45/100
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Trader Joe's
100/100
Chocolate Coffee Flavored Granola
Trader Joe's
100/100
Chocolate covered fruit & nut chews
Unknown
100/100
Chocolate peanut butter swirl ice cream
Unknown
100/100
Chocolate peanuts
Kroger
100/100
Chocomize, Just Nuts - Milk
Chocomize Inc.
100/100
CLAIM JUMPER Pumpkin Pecan Pie, 38 OZ
Unknown
100/100
CLAIM JUMPER Southern Pecan Pie, 32 OZ
Unknown
95/100
CLAIM JUMPER Turtle Pie, 28 OZ
Unknown
90/100
Coated truffle
Unknown
100/100
Coconut Candy
Las Delicias Mexicanas
100/100
Coconut Candy
La Mollenda Mexicana LLC
100/100
Coffee fudge swirl
Unknown
100/100
Cookie Dough Ice Crean
Signature Select
95/100
Cookies & Cream
Unknown
100/100
cotton candy ice cresm
Unknown
95/100
Dark chocolate baking chips
Get Back To Human
100/100
DARK CHOCOLATE BAR
TRADER JOE'S
100/100
Dark Chocolate Chip Yes Bar
Unknown
100/100
dark chocolate covered mini pretzels
Trader Joe's
100/100
Dark Chocolate Roasted Pistachio Toffee
Trader Joe's
100/100
Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Keto Bark Pecan
ChocZero
100/100
Deluxe Mixed Nuts
Fritolay
100/100
Deluxe Salted Mixed Nuts
Nut Harvest
100/100
Dierbergs, raw energy mix
Dierbergs, Rb. Confections Lc.
100/100
Dierbergs, raw energy mix
Dierbergs, Rb. Confections Lc.
50/100
Duked oats
Dukes
100/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pecan safe to eat?

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

What products contain Pecan?

Pecan is found in 189 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does Pecan do in food?

Pecan 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.