Avoid

Rainbow sherbet

by Toft's, Toft Dairy Inc.

Scores 15/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 5 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0019473006815 · Serving size 0.5 cup (82 g)

The verdict

Rainbow sherbet by Toft's, Toft Dairy Inc. scores 15/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 36 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 5 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

15/100
Avoid safety score
5
flagged ingredients of 36 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
C
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

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

What the Data Says About Rainbow sherbet

Rainbow sherbet by Toft's, Toft Dairy Inc. carries a composite safety score of 15/100, which we classify as "Avoid" on our four-tier shelf-label framework.

The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

Our scan identified 5 flagged ingredients in this product, components that at least one official source has classified as requiring caution, targeted avoidance, or further evaluation. Flagged ingredients are the items most likely to surface in FDA inspection findings, state-level ingredient bans, or outbreak-related recall notices, so the per-ingredient breakdown below is the most useful lens for anyone screening this product for a specific dietary concern.

On the NOVA processing scale, Rainbow sherbet is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone. The Nutri-Score grade of C reflects nutritional balance, calories, saturated fat, sugar, sodium versus fiber, protein, and produce content, which again is a distinct dimension from additive safety and worth weighing alongside the scores above.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Rainbow sherbet
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 15/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 5 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score C OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 25,915 products we've scored in the Frozen foods category, the average safety score is 93.3/100. Rainbow sherbet scores 78.3 points below that category average (15/100 vs. 93.3/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Water
2
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Corn Syrup
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
Cut Back GRAS
4
Milk
5
Cream
6
Natural Lime Sherbet Flavor
7
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
8
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
9
Citrus Pulp
10
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
11
Natural Flavors
12
Corn Starch
13
Ester Gum
14
Saib
15
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
16
Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Benzoate
17
As Preservatives
18
And Fd&c Blue #1
19
Natural Orange Sherbet Flavor
20
Orange Pulp
21
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
22
Natural Raspberry Sherbet Flavor
23
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
24
Stabilizer
25
Mono & Diglycerides
26
Cellulose Gum
27
Guar Gum
28
Locust Bean Gum
29
Polysorbate 80
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
30
Carrageenan
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Caution GRAS
31
Disodium Phosphate
32
Calcium Sulfate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
33
Green Color
34
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 GRAS
35
Orange Color
36
And Fd&c Red #40

Full Ingredient List

Water, sugar, corn syrup, milk, cream, natural lime sherbet flavor (high fructose corn syrup, water, citric acid, citrus pulp, xanthan gum, natural flavors, modified corn starch, ester gum, saib, fd&c yellow #5, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (as preservatives), and fd&c blue #1), natural orange sherbet flavor (water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, orange pulp, fd&c yellow #6, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (as preservatives)), natural raspberry sherbet flavor (water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, fd&c red #40, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (as preservatives)), citric acid, stabilizer (mono & diglycerides, cellulose gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, polysorbate 80, carrageenan, disodium phosphate, calcium sulfate), green color (water, propylene glycol, fd&c yellow #5, and fd&c blue #1), orange color (water, propylene glycol, fd&c yellow #5, fd&c yellow #6, and fd&c red #40).

Categories

Desserts Frozen foods Frozen desserts

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.

This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.