Red 40 And Blue 1

Red 40 And Blue 1 carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 119 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 — Red 40 And Blue 1 highlighted.

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

Caramel Coloring22612Red 4021595Yellow 518987Carrageenan17853Blue 116643Yellow 613560Sucralose10490Red 40 And Blue 1119
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Safety Score
3/5

Safety Assessment

Red 40 And Blue 1 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

Red 40 And Blue 1 currently appears in 119 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.

Red 40 And Blue 1 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 Red 40 And Blue 1 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 Red 40 And Blue 1
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Not listed 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 119 products OpenFoodFacts

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

Products Containing

Showing 50 of 119 products

"the original" red velvet 3-layer cake
Unknown
100/100
Applesauce
Unknown
100/100
Arbol Frutal Jamaica
Grupo Dilcomer S.A. De C.V.
100/100
Assorted flavors freezer pops, assorted
Unknown
0/100
Axelrod, fat free yogurt, blueberry
Axelrod
95/100
Axelrod, fat free yogurt, mixed berry
Axelrod
95/100
Axelrod, lowfat yogurt, black cherry
Axelrod
95/100
Axelrod, lowfat yogurt, blueberry
Axelrod
95/100
Axelrod, lowfat yogurt, strawberry
Axelrod
95/100
Axelrod, yogurt, fat free, raspberry
Axelrod
95/100
Betty Crocker, Coconut Pecan Frosting
Betty crocker
100/100
Bev mix jamaica sweetened
Klass
100/100
Blended lowfat yogurt, raspberry
Unknown
100/100
Blueberry cheesecake, blueberry
Unknown
85/100
Butterscotch Buttons
Our Family
50/100
Caffeine free grape artificially flavored soda, grape
Food Lion, Topco Associates Inc.
100/100
Caffeine free peach naturally & artificially flavored soda
Unknown
75/100
Candy corn
Unknown
75/100
Candy Corn Candies
Food Club
75/100
Candy corn candy
Unknown
75/100
Casey's General Store, Assorted Fruit Sours
Casey's General Stores Inc.
75/100
Chick O-Stick Candies
Palmer's Candies
50/100
Chocolate bridge mix
Unknown
100/100
Clover valley, grape soda, grape
Clover Valley, Shasta Beverages
100/100
Cookie
Unknown
100/100
Custard spanish style with caramel
Unknown
45/100
Dad's root beer barrels
Unknown
100/100
Electrolyte Solution Advantage Care
Unknown
70/100
Fall mix
Unknown
75/100
Fall mix candy
Unknown
75/100
Fitz's
The Fitz's Root Beer Company
100/100
Fitz's premium black cherry soda
Unknown
95/100
Flavored juice cocktail from concentrate
Ahold
100/100
Flavored Soda, Grape
Krier Foods Inc.
100/100
Food club, home style, raspberry filled cokies
Food Club
75/100
Food lion, light nonfat yogurt, blueberry
Food Lion, Food Town Stores Inc.
80/100
Food lion, nonfat yogurt, blueberry pomegranate
Food Lion, Food Town Stores Inc.
95/100
Freeze pop
Unknown
50/100
Fruit2o, berry twists, sparkling water beverage, black raspberry, black raspberry
Fruit2o, Sunny Delight Beverages Company
85/100
Gelatin dessert
Kroger, The Kroger Co.
100/100
Giant freeze pops
Unknown
100/100
Giant freezies
Unknown
25/100
Grape artificially flavored soda
Food Club, Topco Associates Inc.
100/100
Grape Flavored Caffeine Free Soda, Grape
Jolly good
100/100
Grape pop
Unknown
100/100
Grape soda, grape
Unknown
100/100
Grape Soda, Grape
Price Rite, Wakefern Food Corporation
95/100
Grape strawberry splash drink, grape strawberry
Unknown
100/100
Hannaford, nonfat yogurt, strawberry
Hannaford, Hannaford Bros. Co.
95/100
Harvest Treats
Ingles Markets Inc.
10/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Red 40 And Blue 1 safe to eat?

Red 40 And Blue 1 has a safety score of 3/5. Always check with a healthcare provider if you have specific dietary concerns.

What products contain Red 40 And Blue 1?

Red 40 And Blue 1 is found in 119 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does Red 40 And Blue 1 do in food?

Red 40 And Blue 1 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.