Avoid

Kickstart Orange Citrus

by Mountain Dew

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0012000183317 · Mountain Dew · Beverages and beverages preparations. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0012000183317

The verdict

Kickstart Orange Citrus by Mountain Dew scores 20/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 29 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 4 ingredients are flagged for caution. The 29-component label is layered, beginning with Carbonated Water, High-fructose corn syrup, White Grape Juice Concentrate. Start with any flagged rows, then check the nutrition grade and serving size instead of treating one roll-up score as the whole decision. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination.

20/100
Avoid safety score
4
Many flagged · of 29 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0012000183317
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

17/100

Grade F

Ingredient Safety

20/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

N/A

Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition grade

Weighted 50% ingredient safety / 25% processing level / 25% nutrition grade. A dimension with no data for this product (common: source coverage is partial) is dropped and its weight redistributes across the remaining dimensions, so missing data never silently lowers the score. See the full benchmark table.

00183317 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Kickstart Orange Citrus label screening desk

SCORE-AVOID 20/100 FLAG-MANY 4 flagged LEN-LAYERED 29 ing. REG-PART 48% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-UNK Nutri n/a RANK-SHORT Len top 4% LEAD-FLAG Acesulfame Potassium PHOTO-FINISH Amp game fuel · ±0 BOOK-OFF …183317 · July 2026

14 of 29 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Acesulfame Potassium). Source sheet 00183317 · Open Food Facts · July 2026. The screening score and flag counts are in the verdict band above. This desk is the provenance stamp, not a second scorecard. Methodology · Read with nearest score peer: Amp game fuel · Nearest score peer is Amp game fuel at the same screening score.

Screening model notes

How Nutri-Score, NOVA, and list length read this record

The composite for this product falls in the lowest of the four bands. That is where labels land when registry-rated components drive the greater part of the deduction from the index. The band name is drawn from the framework's own scale and is distinct from the ratings the registries themselves assign to individual substances, which are shown per component below. A single heavily rated component and several lightly rated ones can produce the same band, so the component table is the more precise reading of the two.

No Nutri-Score grade is present for this record in the OpenFoodFacts snapshot this page is built from. The nutritional dimension is absent rather than assessed and withheld: the grade depends on a complete declared nutrition panel, and community-contributed records vary in how much of that panel they carry. Nothing about the missing grade implies anything either way about the panel itself. The screen below covers additive ratings only and does not depend on the nutrition figures.

This label parsed into a long component list. Where many entries are screened at once, the composite tends to reflect the overall mix of registry ratings returned rather than the rating of any one entry. Longer declarations also carry more sub-listed and compound entries, where a parenthetical group is resolved into its parts, so the parsed count can exceed what a reader counts on the packaging.

Cross-brand screening score neighbourhood

1. Kickstart Orange Citrus: 20/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. Kickstart Orange Citrus20/1002. Amp game fuel: 20/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. Amp game fuel20/1003. Amp game fuel: 20/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. Amp game fuel20/1004. Gatorade G2 Orange Thirst Quencher 20 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle: 20/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Gatorade G2 Orange Thirst…20/1005. Brisk Iced Tea Strawberry Melon: 20/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Brisk Iced Tea Strawberry…20/100
Nearest cross-brand screening scores for Kickstart Orange Citrus (20/100 on 29 parsed ingredients).
Chart values as text

Unit: PlainFoodSafe screening score out of 100. Data current as of July 2026.

Kickstart Orange Citrus
20/100
Amp game fuel
20/100
Amp game fuel
20/100
Gatorade G2 Orange Thirst Quencher 20 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
20/100
Brisk Iced Tea Strawberry Melon
20/100

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 32,623 products we've scored in the Beverages category, the average safety score is 90.5/100. Kickstart Orange Citrus scores 70.5 points below that category average (20/100 vs. 90.5/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient-list length vs other Beverages and beverages preparations products

Kickstart Orange Citrus lists 29 ingredients on its label

29 96th percentile a longer ingredient list than 96% of the 4,874 products we track

0–2: 103 products (2%). Below this entry. 2–4: 484 products (10%). Below this entry. 4–6: 475 products (10%). Below this entry. 6–8: 550 products (11%). Below this entry. 8–10: 619 products (13%). Below this entry. 10–12: 595 products (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 493 products (10%). Below this entry. 14–16: 381 products (8%). Below this entry. 16–18: 272 products (6%). Below this entry. 18–20: 193 products (4%). Below this entry. 20–22: 187 products (4%). Below this entry. 22–24: 134 products (3%). Below this entry. 24–26: 95 products (2%). Below this entry. 26–28: 69 products (1%). Below this entry. 28–30: 56 products (1%). This entry sits in this band. 30–32: 38 products (1%). Above this entry. 32–34: 16 products (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 22 products (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 5 products (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 7 products (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 80 products (2%). Above this entry. This product 0 42 every published Beverages and beverages preparations product, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Distribution as text

4,874 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 29 (96th percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
103 products (2%)
2–4
484 products (10%)
4–6
475 products (10%)
6–8
550 products (11%)
8–10
619 products (13%)
10–12
595 products (12%)
12–14
493 products (10%)
14–16
381 products (8%)
16–18
272 products (6%)
18–20
193 products (4%)
20–22
187 products (4%)
22–24
134 products (3%)
24–26
95 products (2%)
26–28
69 products (1%)
28–30
56 products (1%)
30–32
38 products (1%)
32–34
16 products (0%)
34–36
22 products (0%)
36–38
5 products (0%)
38–40
7 products (0%)
40 and above
80 products (2%)

Source Open Food Facts, product label ingredient lists · July 2026

Ingredient-list length is a descriptive property of the label, not a safety rating. A longer list is not automatically worse and a shorter one is not automatically better; the count is shown so the label can be placed against a comparable population. The comparison here runs against the 4,874 Beverages and beverages preparations products we publish with a parsed label, not against the whole catalogue, because list length varies far more between categories than within one.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

How the 20/100 score is built

Screening starts at 100 and subtracts severity-weighted FDA SAFFA / CSPI flags (4 flagged of 29 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Carbonated Water
2
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
White Grape Juice Concentrate
4
Concentrated Orange Jake
5
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 GRAS
6
Sodium Polyphosphates
7
Natural Flavor
8
Gum Arabic
9
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
10
Preserves Freshness
11
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
12
Vitamin C
13
Caffeine
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
14
Sodium Citrate
15
Acesulfame Potassium
NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
16
Sucrose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
GRAS
17
Acetate Isobutyrate
18
Sucralose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
19
Glycerol Ester Of Rosin
20
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 GRAS
21
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
22
Vitamin B3
23
Calcium Disodium Edta
24
Calcium Pantothenate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
25
Vitamin B5
26
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
27
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
28
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
29
Vitamin B6

Full Ingredient List

CARBONATED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WHITE GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE, CONCENTRATED ORANGE JAKE, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM POLYPHOSPHATES (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), NATURAL FLAVOR, GUM ARABIC, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVES FRESHNESS), ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), CAFFEINE, SODIUM CITRATE, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, SUCROSE, ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE, SUCRALOSE, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVES FRESHNESS), NIACINAMIDE (VITAMIN B3), CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE (VITAMIN B5), YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6)

Other products containing Acetate Isobutyrate

Acetate Isobutyrate is the least common ingredient on this label, appearing in 3 products across the catalog. See its safety profile.

Categories

Beverages and beverages preparations Beverages Energy drinks

Lower-score cross-brand comparables for Kickstart Orange Citrus

Neighbours outside Mountain Dew in the same lower screening band as Kickstart Orange Citrus (20/100). The 5 same-brand links above stay within Mountain Dew; these peers cross brands.

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Acesulfame Potassium is the first flagged ingredient selected from Kickstart Orange Citrus's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 29-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Acesulfame Potassium. Open Acesulfame Potassium
  • Compare Kickstart Orange Citrus's 4 flagged ingredients with a product from the same score neighbourhood. Compare labels
  • Check how caution flags contribute to the derived screening score before drawing a dietary conclusion. Read the method

This page describes published ingredient-list and source coverage. It is not dietary or medical advice.

Barcode 0012000183317: product data from Open Food Facts (July 2026). Screening from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine where attached. Figures are computed from those sources, not editor-typed. Methodology. Reference only, not dietary or medical advice.