Caution

Drink packets

by Propel

Scores 70/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 2 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0052000063981 · Serving size 3g

The verdict

Drink packets by Propel scores 70/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 25 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 2 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.

70/100
Caution safety score
2
flagged ingredients of 25 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0052000063981
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.

What the Data Says About Drink packets

Drink packets by Propel carries a composite safety score of 70/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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 2 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, Drink packets 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Drink packets
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 70/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 49,768 products we've scored in the Beverages category, the average safety score is 94.1/100. Drink packets scores 24.1 points below that category average (70/100 vs. 94.1/100), 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
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
2
Sodium Citrate
3
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
4
Citicoline
5
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 GRAS
6
Monopotassium Phosphate
7
Caffeine
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
8
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
9
Vitamin C
10
Sucralose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
11
Modified Food Starch
12
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 GRAS
13
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
14
Vitamin B3
15
Natural Flavor
16
Acesulfame Potassium
NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
17
Calcium Pantothenate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
18
Vitamin B5
19
Calcium Disodium Edta
20
Vitamin E Acetate
21
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
22
Vitamin B6
23
Calcium Phosphate
24
Cyanocobalamin
25
Vitamin B12

Full Ingredient List

CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE, SALT, CITICOLINE, MALTODEXTRIN, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, CAFFEINE, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), SUCRALOSE, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SILICON DIOXIDE, NIACINAMIDE (VITAMIN B3), NATURAL FLAVOR, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE (VITAMIN B5), CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA, VITAMIN E ACETATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CYANOCOBALAMIN (VITAMIN B12).

Categories

Beverages and beverages preparations Beverages Dried products Dried products to be rehydrated Dehydrated beverages Drink-packet

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.