Preserves Color

Preserves Color carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 57 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 — Preserves Color highlighted.

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

Caramel Coloring22612Red 4021595Yellow 518987Carrageenan17853Blue 116643Yellow 613560Sucralose10490Preserves Color57
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Safety Score
3/5

Safety Assessment

Preserves Color 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

Preserves Color currently appears in 57 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.

Preserves Color 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 Preserves Color 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 Preserves Color
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Not listed 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 57 products OpenFoodFacts

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

Products Containing

Showing 50 of 57 products

Assorted caramels in milk & dark chocolate
Russell Stover
20/100
Assorted chocolates
Unknown
45/100
Assorted chocolates
Unknown
20/100
Assorted chocolates, assorted
Unknown
30/100
Assorted chocolates, assorted
Unknown
45/100
Assorted chocolates, assorted
Unknown
45/100
Assorted chocolates, assorted
Unknown
45/100
Assorted chocolates, assorted
Unknown
75/100
Assorted fine chocolates
Unknown
45/100
Assorted fine chocolates
Unknown
45/100
Assorted fine chocolates
Unknown
45/100
Assorted fine chocolates
Unknown
45/100
Assorted fine chocolates
Unknown
45/100
Assorted fine chocolates
Unknown
45/100
Assorted fine chocolates
Unknown
45/100
Assorted fine chocolates, assorted
Russell Stover
45/100
Assorted fine chocolates, assorted
Unknown
70/100
Assorted fine chocolates, assorted
Unknown
50/100
Assorted fine chocolates, assorted
Unknown
45/100
Assorted fine chocolates, orange cream, maple nut cream, pecan & english walnut cluster, fruit & nut caramel, caramel, vanilla cream, chocolate truffle, roman nougat, raspberry cream
Unknown
45/100
Assorted milk & dark chocolates
Russell Stover
20/100
Assorted milk & dark chocolates
Unknown
20/100
Assorted milk & dark chocolates
Unknown
20/100
Assorted milk & dark chocolates
Unknown
20/100
Assorted milk & dark chocolates
Unknown
70/100
Assorted milk & dark chocolates
Unknown
20/100
Assorted milk & dark chocolates
Russell Stover
20/100
Assorted milk & dark chocolates
Russell Stover
65/100
Assorted milk & dark chocolates, assorted
Unknown
20/100
Assorted milk & dark chocolates, assorted
Unknown
20/100
Assorted milk and dark chocolate
Russell Stover
65/100
Assorted Milk And Dark Chocolates, Caramel, Nut Caramel, Solid Chocolate Messenger, Peanut Cluster, Orange Cream, Peanut Chew, Chocolate Butter Cream, Vanilla Cream, Coconut Cream, Chocolate Nut Fudge, Caramel, Nut Caramel, Cashew Cluster, Orange Cream, Chocolate Nut Fudge, Peanut Chew, Chocolate Butter Cream, Vanilla Cream, Coconut Cream
Unknown
40/100
Assorted nut caramel
Russell Stover
20/100
Caramels & nuts in milk & dark chocolate
Russell Stover
20/100
Caramels & nuts in milk & dark chocolate
Russell Stover
20/100
Caramels & nuts in milk & dark chocolate
Unknown
20/100
Cherry cordials rich milk & dark chocolates, cherry cordials
Unknown
100/100
Dark Chocolate Assortment
Russell Stover
45/100
Dark Chocolate Assortment
Russell Stover
45/100
Dark chocolate assortment
Unknown
45/100
Garlic & Parmesan Pierogies
Mrs. T's,Ateeco Inc.
100/100
Happy birthday assorted milk & dark chocolate, caramel, dark chocolate nut caramel, pecan delight, dark chocolate truffle, strawberry cream
Unknown
20/100
Milk & dark assorted fine chocolates
Unknown
70/100
Milk & dark chocolate assorted
Russell Stover
20/100
Milk chocolate
Unknown
20/100
Milk chocolate assortment
Unknown
45/100
Milk Chocolate Assortment
Russell Stover
20/100
Milk chocolate assortment
Unknown
20/100
Milk Chocolate Assortment, Caramel, Pecan Delight, Truffle, Peanuts, Nut Caramel, Toffee
Russell stover
20/100
Pierogies 4 cheese medley
Mrs. T's
100/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Preserves Color safe to eat?

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

What products contain Preserves Color?

Preserves Color is found in 57 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does Preserves Color do in food?

Preserves Color 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.