To Protect Color

To Protect Color carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 748 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 Protect Color highlighted.

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

Caramel Coloring22612Red 4021595Yellow 518987Carrageenan17853Blue 116643Yellow 613560Sucralose10490To Protect Color748
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Safety Score
3/5

Safety Assessment

To Protect 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

To Protect Color currently appears in 748 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 Protect 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 To Protect 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 To Protect Color
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Not listed 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 748 products OpenFoodFacts

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

Products Containing

Showing 50 of 748 products

072273388079
Unknown
100/100
100% juice
Unknown
100/100
28 Oz
Unknown
100/100
A smooth puree of freshly cooked apples and strawberries
Unknown
100/100
All natural juice variety fruit punch
Caprisun
100/100
Aloha morning juice
Unknown
60/100
Apple cinnamon apple sauce
Unknown
100/100
Apple cinnamon fruit & oats, apple cinnamon
Del Monte
100/100
Apple sauce
Kroger
100/100
Apple sauce
Kroger
100/100
Apple sauce
Kroger
100/100
Apple sauce
Kroger
100/100
Apple Sauce
Knouse Foods Inc.
100/100
Apple Sauce Cinnamon
Unknown
100/100
Apple Strawberry Puree
Roundy's
100/100
Aunt jemima, griddle poppers, bite-size griddle puffs, apples & cinnamon, apples & cinnamon
Aunt Jemima
100/100
Backyard bbq meal
Banquet
80/100
Banana Puree
Walmart Inc.
100/100
Banana, Apple & Pear
Parent's Choice
100/100
Banana, pineapple, carrot & mango medley spoonable smoothie, mango medley
Unknown
100/100
Banana, pineapple, squash & coconut bliss spoonable smoothie, banana, pineapple, squash & coconut
Unknown
100/100
BANQUET Basic Meatloaf Meal, 8 OZ
Banquet
80/100
BANQUET Cheesy Potato Bake, 8.5 OZ
Unknown
100/100
BANQUET Classic Cheesy Patty And Mashed Potatoes, 9 OZ
Unknown
80/100
Banquet Classic Chicken Fried Chicken Frozen Single Serve Meal, 10.1 Ounce, 10.1 OZ
Unknown
70/100
Banquet Classic Meatloaf Frozen Single Serve Meal, 11.88 Ounce
Unknown
80/100
Banquet Mega Meals Salisbury Steak Frozen Dinner, 15.25 Ounce, 15.25 OZ
Unknown
80/100
Bartlett pear slices in white grape and lemon juice blend, white grape, lemon
Unknown
100/100
Bean Sprouts
Kroger
100/100
Black raspbery
Unknown
60/100
Blackeye Peas
Mother's Maid
100/100
Blackeye Peas
Kuner's
100/100
Blended Fruit Puree
Full Circle
100/100
Bloody mary mix
Unknown
95/100
Bloody mary mix
Unknown
95/100
Bloody mary mix
Unknown
95/100
Bloody mary mix
Mr & Mrs T
95/100
Bloody mary mix, fiery pepper
Mr & Mrs
95/100
Blue Raspberry Cherry Sports Drink, Blue Raspberry Cherry
Powerade
75/100
Blueberry apple fruit & oats
Del monte
100/100
Blueberry dream spoonable smoothie, blueberry dream
Unknown
100/100
Blueberry fruit crunch coconut creme parfait and granola, blueberry
Del Monte
100/100
Bubble fruit peach strawberry lemonade & popping
Del Monte
100/100
Bubble fruit pear berry pomegranate & popping
Del Monte
100/100
Bubly Burst Peach Mango
Bubly
70/100
Bubly burst sparkling beverage
Bubly
60/100
BUFFALO CHICKEN BURRITO
MAVERIK
75/100
Buttermilk ranch dressing, buttermilk ranch
Unknown
100/100
Cajun Style Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Trader Joe’s
95/100
cake batter iced coffee
Unknown
100/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is To Protect Color safe to eat?

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

What products contain To Protect Color?

To Protect Color is found in 748 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does To Protect Color do in food?

To Protect 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.