To Maintain Firmness

To Maintain Firmness carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 61 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 — To Maintain Firmness highlighted.

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

Caramel Coloring22612Red 4021595Yellow 518987Carrageenan17853Blue 116643Yellow 613560Sucralose10490To Maintain Firmness61
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Safety Score
3/5

Safety Assessment

To Maintain Firmness 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

To Maintain Firmness currently appears in 61 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.

To Maintain Firmness 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 To Maintain Firmness 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 To Maintain Firmness
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Not listed 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 61 products OpenFoodFacts

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

Products Containing

Showing 50 of 61 products

All Natural Fresh Salsa
Haas Brothers
100/100
Blackbean & Corn Salsa
Kowalski's Markets
100/100
Blackeye Peas
Food Club
100/100
Butter peas
Unknown
100/100
California girl, imitation abalone
California Girl
100/100
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Panera Bread
100/100
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Panera Bread
100/100
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Panera Bread
100/100
Chicken tortilla soup
Unknown
100/100
Country Blend Mixed Vegetables
Big Y
100/100
Dark red kidney beans
Unknown
100/100
Diced new white potatoes
Unknown
100/100
Fancy carrots diced
Unknown
100/100
Fancy Small Sliced Carrots
Western Family
100/100
Fancy White Potatoes
Western Family
100/100
Mild Salsa
Kowalski's Markets
100/100
Mixed Vagatables
Valu Time
100/100
Mixed Vegetable
Valu Time
100/100
Mixed Vegetable
Food Club
100/100
Mixed Vegetables
Giant Eagle
100/100
Mixed Vegetables
Food Club
100/100
Mixed Vegetables
Schnucks
100/100
Mixed Vegetables
Stater Bros
100/100
Mixed vegetables
Unknown
100/100
Mixed vegetables
Unknown
100/100
Mixed vegetables
Unknown
100/100
Mixed vegetables
Unknown
100/100
Mixed vegetables family size
Unknown
100/100
Mixed vegetables with carrots, potatoes, celery, sweet peas, green beans, corn & lima beans
Hy-Vee
100/100
Original Hot Fresh Salsa
Haas Brothers
100/100
Pineapple Chipotle Salsa
Kowalski's Markets
100/100
Pinto beans
Unknown
100/100
Premium Blackeye Peas
Western Family
100/100
Premium blackeye peas
Unknown
100/100
Premium seafood mix
California Girl
100/100
Salsa
Kowalski's Markets
100/100
Salsa, hot
Kowalski's Markets
100/100
Sliced carrots
Unknown
100/100
Sliced Carrots
Valu Time
100/100
Sliced Carrots
Big Y
100/100
Sliced Carrots
Big Y
100/100
Sliced Carrots
Giant Eagle
100/100
Sliced Carrots
Giant Eagle
100/100
Sliced Carrots
Food Club
100/100
Sliced Carrots
Food Club
100/100
Sliced Carrots
Food Club
100/100
Sliced Carrots
Stater Bros
100/100
Sliced carrots
Unknown
100/100
Sliced carrots
Hy-Vee
100/100
Sliced carrots
Unknown
100/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is To Maintain Firmness safe to eat?

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

What products contain To Maintain Firmness?

To Maintain Firmness is found in 61 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does To Maintain Firmness do in food?

To Maintain Firmness 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.