Ingredient Safety Ratings
According to data current to September 2026, PlainFoodSafe lists 14 food ingredients with Center for Science in the Public Interest Chemical Cuisine ratings and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Substances Added to Food status, based on Open Food Facts product labels documented in our methodology.
14 ingredients with CSPI safety ratings filtered to “Certain People Should Avoid”
Each row links a normalized ingredient name to its CSPI Chemical Cuisine rating and FDA Substances Added to Food status, plus how many indexed products list that ingredient. The 14 count is the current filtered set for “Certain People Should Avoid”. Ratings summarize published source classifications; they are not allergy diagnoses or medical guidance.
- 14 Certain People Should Avoid rows
- CSPI Chemical Cuisine
- FDA SAFFA status
| Ingredient | CSPI Rating | Products |
|---|---|---|
| Annatto Coloring | Certain People Should Avoid | 9,572 |
| Autolyzed yeast extract Flavoring | Certain People Should Avoid | 4,121 |
| Caffeine FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT | Certain People Should Avoid | 3,254 |
| Carmine Coloring | Certain People Should Avoid | 778 |
| Casein EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER | Certain People Should Avoid | 580 |
| Guarana Other | Certain People Should Avoid | 58 |
| Hydrolyzed vegetable protein Flavoring | Certain People Should Avoid | 553 |
| Lactose FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT | Certain People Should Avoid | 6,646 |
| Mycoprotein Other | Certain People Should Avoid | 24 |
| Potassium Chloride ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER | Certain People Should Avoid | 6,624 |
| Propylene Glycol ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE | Certain People Should Avoid | 2,863 |
| Quinine Flavoring | Certain People Should Avoid | 120 |
| Sodium Benzoate ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT | Certain People Should Avoid | 11,827 |
| Sulfites Preservative | Certain People Should Avoid | 1,449 |
What to do with these ingredient ratings
Start with a source-backed ingredient record, then compare the product-label context that gives the rating its limits.
- Use the rating filters to narrow the catalog to the source classification you want to examine. View Caution-rated ingredients
- Open an ingredient record to see its FDA status, product footprint, and linked product examples. Browse product records
- Check the source and coverage rules before treating a category label as dietary or medical guidance. Read the methodology
Ratings summarize published source classifications and catalog coverage; they are not product, allergy, or medical advice.