tums

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

tums receives a safety score of 50/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 ingredients that have been flagged for potential safety concerns by regulatory or consumer advocacy databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0195515011075
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

tums carries a composite safety score of 50/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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.

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, tums 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 tums
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 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.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Beeswax
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
2
Carmine
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
3
Carnauba Wax
4
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
5
Corn Starch
6
Com Syrup
7
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 GRAS
8
Dl-alpha Tocopherol
9
Ethyl Acetate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
10
Fd&c Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake
11
Fd&c Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake
12
Fd&c Yellow No. 5 Lake
13
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
14
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
15
Fd&c Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake
16
Gum Arabic
17
Coconut Oil
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Listed
18
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
19
Medium Chain Triglycerides
20
Methyl Paraben
21
Corn Starch
22
Natural And Artificial Flavors
23
Phosphoric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
Cut Back GRAS
24
Pregelatinized Corn Starch Propyl Paraben
25
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
26
Purified Water
27
Shellac
28
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
29
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
30
Sorbitol
Sweetener
Cut Back
31
Soy Lecithin
32
Soybean Oil
33
Sucrose And Titanium Dioxide. Monday-friday
34
9am-4pm Est This Product Is Not Manufactured Or

Full Ingredient List

beeswax, carmine, carnauba wax, citric acid, corn starch, com syrup, dextrin, dl-alpha tocopherol, ethyl acetate, fd&c blue no. 1 aluminum lake, fd&c red no. 40 aluminum lake, fd&c yellow no. 5 lake (tartrazine), fd&c yellow no. 6, fd&c yellow no. 6 aluminum lake, gum arabic, hydrogenated coconut oil, maltodextrin, medium chain triglycerides, methyl paraben, modified corn starch, natural and artificial flavors, phosphoric acid, pregelatinized corn starch propyl paraben, propylene glycol, purified water, shellac, sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, sorbitol, soy lecithin, soybean oil, sucrose and titanium dioxide. monday-friday, 9am-4pm est this product is not manufactured or

Data Sources

Data as of 2025. 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.

Related

Data sourced from official FDA, USDA, and CDC food-safety databases. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial