The FDA allows 3,972 additives
in your food.
We checked every single one.
In 2025, the FDA banned a food dye for the first time in 35 years. Right now, 26 additives approved in US food are banned or restricted in Europe. Search any ingredient and see exactly what the data says.
The food on American shelves is changing — and not always for the better.
In 2025, the FDA banned Red Dye No. 3 — its first food dye ban in 35 years. 38 states are actively legislating food additives. Major brands are quietly reformulating. The food you bought last month may have different ingredients than what's on the shelf today.
The first FDA food dye ban in 35 years
Red Dye No. 3 was finally banned in January 2025 — after the FDA's own studies linked it to cancer in animals. It had been approved since 1907.
38 states are passing new laws right now
California, Virginia, West Virginia, and 35 other states have introduced or passed legislation restricting food additives that are still federally approved.
Major brands are reformulating quietly
Dozens of brands have already removed artificial dyes and certain preservatives from their US products — often without announcing it on packaging.
Most Flagged Additives
Ranked by consumer-reported adverse events. These are the ingredients showing up most in FDA complaint filings.
L-arginine
NutrientAspartame
FlavoringL-glutamine
FlavoringBromelain
FlavoringAlbumin
StabilizerAstaxanthin
ColorantAcetone
FlavoringBetaine
Flavoring26 additives approved in the US are banned or restricted in Europe.
The FDA uses a "generally recognized as safe" standard. The EU requires proof of safety before approval. Same food, same shelf — different rules.
United States — FDA
GRAS Principle — permitted unless proven harmful
Artificial food dyes
9 certified dyes still approved
Brominated vegetable oil
Approved in some beverages
Potassium bromate
Approved in bread flour
Propylparaben
Approved as a preservative
European Union — EFSA
Precautionary Principle — must prove safety first
Artificial food dyes
Several banned or require warning labels
Brominated vegetable oil
Banned across all EU member states
Potassium bromate
Banned as a flour additive
Propylparaben
Banned in food products
Approved in the US — banned or restricted in the EU
Browse by Category
15 categories — from colorants to preservatives.
How we rate additives
Every rating is built on publicly available regulatory data and peer-reviewed research. We do not accept advertising from food manufacturers. No agenda — just data.
Regulatory Cross-Reference
We compare FDA GRAS status, EFSA opinions, and country-level approval or restriction across 50+ regulatory jurisdictions.
Adverse Event Data
Consumer-reported reactions from OpenFDA's 148,000+ adverse event database are surfaced on every additive page.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Safety summaries are generated from PubMed literature and reviewed against EFSA toxicological assessments, with sources linked on every page.
Decode what's in your food
Free tools to check ingredients, compare additives, and track your daily exposure.
Label Analyzer
Paste an ingredient list. Instantly see every additive flagged with its safety rating.
Compare Additives
Put two additives side by side — FDA status, EU status, adverse events, safety rating.
Daily Intake Tracker
Log what you ate and see how your additive exposure compares to safety thresholds.
Safety Quiz
How well do you know your food labels? Test your knowledge with our 10-question quiz.
Your food. Their data.
Your decision.
Search any ingredient from the back of a food package — Red 40, Aspartame, BHA, whatever you just read — and get the full safety picture in seconds. FDA data, EU status, adverse event counts.
3,972additives indexed · Updated from official FDA & EFSA databases