Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 65 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 — Taco Seasoning highlighted.

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

Caramel Coloring22612Red 4021595Yellow 518987Carrageenan17853Blue 116643Yellow 613560Sucralose10490Taco Seasoning65
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Safety Score
3/5

Safety Assessment

Taco Seasoning 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

Taco Seasoning currently appears in 65 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.

Taco Seasoning 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 Taco Seasoning 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 Taco Seasoning
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Not listed 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 65 products OpenFoodFacts

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

Products Containing

Showing 50 of 65 products

Avocado Ranch Chopped Salad Kit
Good & Gather
95/100
Baja-Inspired Chicken Wrap
Farmer's Fridge
100/100
Beef enchiladas
Unknown
100/100
Beef Jerky
Pemmican
100/100
beef taco meat
Unknown
100/100
Beef taco salad
Unknown
100/100
Beef Taquitos
Casa Mamita
100/100
Borden, taco cheese
Borden
100/100
Cabot, cheddar cheese, chipotle
Cabot, Cabot Creamery Cooperative
100/100
Casa Mamita Chicken & Cheese Taquitos
Casa Mamita
100/100
Cheddar cheese
Unknown
100/100
Chef's recipe taco chili with beans
Unknown
100/100
Chicken fajitas with cheese and sour cream
Unknown
100/100
Chipotle cheddar with beef pizza
Mama Cozzi's, ALDI
95/100
Crispy Jalapeños
Food Lion
100/100
Dierbergs kitchen, guacamole
Unknown
100/100
Dierbergs, concierge mix
Unknown
100/100
Dierbergs, party mix
Dierbergs, Rb. Confections Lc.
100/100
Dierbergs, party mix
Dierbergs, Rb. Confections Lc.
100/100
Fancy Shredded Nacho & Taco Blend
S. M. Flickinger Co. Inc.
100/100
Fancy shredded taco blend
Unknown
100/100
Fiery habanero cheddar & monterey jack shredded cheese, fiery jack
Unknown
100/100
Four Pepper Dip
No Brand
100/100
Grilled Southwest Chick'N Veggie Burger, Grilled Southwest Chick'N
Dierbergs kitchen
85/100
Guacamole
Dierbergs Kitchen, Dierberg's Markets Inc.
100/100
Habanero Cheddar Cheese
Great Lakes Cheese
100/100
Habanero cheddar cheese
Cabot
100/100
House-Made Black Bean & Corn Fire-Roasted Guacamole
Dierbergs Kitchen, Dierberg's Markets Inc.
100/100
Lucerne dairy farms, cheddar cheese with peppers & seasoning, hot habanero
Lucerne
100/100
Mango habanero gourmet salsa
Unknown
100/100
Mexican Style Crispy Thin Crust Pizza
Hannaford Bros. Co.
100/100
Mexican Style Pizza
Food Town Stores Inc.
100/100
Mexican style taco cheese
Kraft
100/100
Mild Beef Taco Dip Cantina Dips
Rojo's
95/100
Mild gourmet salsa
Unknown
100/100
Pinwheel snacker snacks
Unknown
95/100
plant-based taco filling with traditional seasoning
Unknown
100/100
Premium Naturally Aged Cheddar Cheese, Hot Habanero
Cabot, Cabot Creamery Cooperative
100/100
Premium Taco Seasoned Beef
Rancher's
100/100
Private selection, vermont white cheddar cheese, chipotle pepper
Unknown
100/100
Quesabarria
Herculean
100/100
Queso & roasted vegetables artisan pizza
Target Stores
95/100
Restaurant style lasagna
Unknown
100/100
Roundys fresh
Unknown
90/100
Southwest fiesta dip
Unknown
95/100
Spicy cantina beef bowl
Unknown
95/100
Taco Blend
Raley's
100/100
Taco Blend
Great Value
100/100
Taco blend cheese
Unknown
100/100
Taco Blend Cheese
Schreiber Foods Inc.
100/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Taco Seasoning safe to eat?

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

What products contain Taco Seasoning?

Taco Seasoning is found in 65 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does Taco Seasoning do in food?

Taco Seasoning 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.