Ingredient Safety Ratings
According to data current to September 2026, PlainFoodSafe lists 57 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.
57 ingredients with CSPI safety ratings filtered to “Safe”
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 57 count is the current filtered set for “Safe”. Ratings summarize published source classifications; they are not allergy diagnoses or medical guidance.
- 57 Safe rows
- CSPI Chemical Cuisine
- FDA SAFFA status
| Ingredient | CSPI Rating | Products |
|---|---|---|
| Acetic Acid ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT | Safe | 2,892 |
| Advantame NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER | Safe | 2 |
| Air Other | Safe | 2 |
| Alginate Thickener | Safe | 47 |
| Amylase Flavoring | Safe | 632 |
| Ascorbyl Palmitate ANTIOXIDANT | Safe | 454 |
| Beta-carotene ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT | Safe | 2,200 |
| Calcium Propionate ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT | Safe | 7,256 |
| Carbon Dioxide ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, FREEZING OR COOLING AGENT, DIRECT CONTACT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, PROPELLANT, SOLVENT | Safe | 662 |
| Cellulose Emulsifier | Safe | 5,155 |
| Citric Acid ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT | Safe | 91,634 |
| Cysteine Preservative | Safe | 17 |
| Datem Emulsifier | Safe | 4,314 |
| Dextrin ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER | Safe | 3,472 |
| EDTA Other | Safe | 273 |
| Erythorbic Acid ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT | Safe | 374 |
| Erythritol Sweetener | Safe | 2,460 |
| Ferrous Gluconate COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT | Safe | 680 |
| Fumaric Acid ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT | Safe | 3,950 |
| Gelatin ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER | Safe | 9,473 |
| Ginseng Other | Safe | 38 |
| Gluconic acid pH Control | Safe | 102 |
| Glycerin ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER | Safe | 6,934 |
| Inulin Other | Safe | 2,980 |
| Isolated soy protein Other | Safe | 1,385 |
| Lactic Acid ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE | Safe | 18,371 |
| Lecithin ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER | Safe | 2,910 |
| Malic Acid FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST | Safe | 11,229 |
| Maltodextrin ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER | Safe | 33,252 |
| Maltotame Sweetener | Safe | 1 |
| Mono- And Diglycerides EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER | Safe | 98 |
| Natamycin FUMIGANT | Safe | 4,012 |
| Neotame FLAVOR ENHANCER, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER | Safe | 210 |
| Nisin Preservative | Safe | 304 |
| Nitrous Oxide FLAVOR ENHANCER, PROPELLANT | Safe | 181 |
| Oat fiber Other | Safe | 2,937 |
| Oligofructose Sweetener | Safe | 253 |
| Papain Other | Safe | 224 |
| Pectin EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER | Safe | 11,247 |
| Potassium Sorbate ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT | Safe | 17,373 |
| Silicon Dioxide ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT | Safe | 6,399 |
| Sodium Diacetate FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT | Safe | 5,379 |
| Sodium Erythorbate ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT | Safe | 7,328 |
| Sodium stearoyl lactylate Other | Safe | 6,505 |
| Sorbic Acid FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT | Safe | 5,662 |
| Sorbitan Monostearate EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT | Safe | 2,285 |
| Starch Thickener | Safe | 2,186 |
| Stearic Acid EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT | Safe | 364 |
| Stevia Sweetener | Safe | 1,294 |
| Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT | Safe | 416 |
| Tartaric acid Preservative | Safe | 2,374 |
| Taurine FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT | Safe | 1,270 |
| Thaumatin FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT | Safe | 18 |
| Torula yeast Flavoring | Safe | 2,563 |
| Triacetin Other | Safe | 115 |
| Vanillin COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT | Safe | 4,589 |
| Yellow Prussiate Of Soda ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT | Safe | 167 |
Download these 57 ingredient rows (CSV) 57 rows PlainFoodSafe selection: CC BY 4.0. Underlying Open Food Facts data: ODbL 1.0.
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.