Editorial Policy & Methodology
How we determine safety ratings, which sources we use, and what this site is — and is not.
How Safety Ratings Are Determined
Each additive in our database receives one of four ratings — Safe, Caution, Avoid, or Unknown — based on a structured review of official regulatory data. Ratings are not editorial opinions. They reflect the consensus position of the primary regulatory bodies that govern food safety in the United States and European Union.
The four inputs used to determine a rating are:
FDA GRAS Status
Whether the substance holds Generally Recognized As Safe status under 21 CFR, is approved under a Food Additive Petition, or has no affirmative safety determination.
EFSA Safety Evaluation
The European Food Safety Authority's toxicological assessment and the substance's authorization status under EU Regulation EC 1333/2008, including any E-number assignment.
IARC Carcinogenicity Classification
Where applicable, the International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph classification (Group 1, 2A, 2B, 3) is factored in as a secondary signal.
Adverse Event & Recall Data
Volume of consumer adverse event reports in the OpenFDA FAERS database and frequency of FDA food recalls in which the substance appears as a contributing factor.
When regulatory bodies disagree — for example, when the FDA classifies a substance as GRAS while the EU has restricted or banned it — we assign the more cautious rating and present both regulatory positions on the additive detail page. The goal is to show the full picture, not to adjudicate between jurisdictions.
Data Sources
Additive Facts uses only publicly available data published directly by government and intergovernmental agencies. We do not use proprietary databases, pay-walled research, or industry-supplied information.
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
The FDA's master inventory of substances added to food in the United States, including GRAS status and regulatory category.
OpenFDA Adverse Events API (FAERS)
Consumer adverse event reports submitted to the FDA. Used as a secondary signal for substances with high report volumes.
OpenFDA Food Recalls API
FDA food recall enforcement actions. Recall involvement is factored into risk assessment for directly implicated ingredients.
EFSA OpenFoodTox Database
The European Food Safety Authority's toxicological reference database, used for EU-jurisdiction safety assessments.
EU Food Additive Regulation EC 1333/2008
The legal framework governing food additives in all EU member states, providing the definitive list of authorized E-numbers.
IARC Monographs
Carcinogenicity classifications published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an agency of the World Health Organization.
Full details on each source — including datapoint counts, licensing terms, and last-pull dates — are available on the Data Sources page.
Review Process
All content on Additive Facts is reviewed against primary regulatory source documents before publication. The review process follows three steps:
Source ingestion
Raw data is pulled directly from the FDA EAFUS database, EFSA OpenFoodTox, and OpenFDA APIs. No intermediary data vendors are used.
Cross-regulatory comparison
Each substance is matched across FDA, EFSA, and EU authorization data. Discrepancies between jurisdictions are flagged and surfaced on the detail page.
Rating assignment and quality check
The final rating is assigned based on the structured criteria described in the methodology above. Any substance rated Avoid is manually verified against source documents before publication.
Update Frequency
Data is updated weekly from FDA and EFSA sources. Recall data from OpenFDA is refreshed more frequently, typically within 48 hours of an FDA enforcement action being published.
Major regulatory changes — such as an FDA safety determination revocation or an EFSA opinion update — are reflected in rating changes within one business day of the official publication.
What This Site Is — and Is Not
Additive Facts is an educational reference tool. It compiles and presents publicly available regulatory data in a structured, searchable format. It is not a substitute for professional guidance.
This site IS: A regulatory data reference
Summaries of official FDA, EFSA, and IARC positions on food additives.
This site IS: An independent educational resource
No food industry funding, no advertising from manufacturers, no sponsored content.
This site IS: A comparative jurisdiction tool
Shows where US and EU regulatory standards agree and where they diverge.
This site is NOT: Medical advice
Nothing on this site constitutes dietary, medical, or clinical guidance. Consult a healthcare professional for decisions about your diet.
This site is NOT: An independent scientific review
We report what regulatory agencies have concluded. We do not conduct original toxicological research or commission independent studies.
This site is NOT: A legal resource
Regulatory approval status described here is for informational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice on food labeling or product compliance.
Important notice: This site provides regulatory data for educational purposes only. The information on this site does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making dietary changes, especially if you have a medical condition, allergy, or are managing a specific health concern.
Questions About Our Methodology
If you believe a rating is incorrect, a source is out of date, or you have a question about how a specific substance was assessed, contact us at info@additivefacts.com. We review all substantive methodology inquiries and publish corrections when warranted.
See the raw data
Full source documentation, datapoint counts, and licensing terms.