Processing Aid
Processing Aid: 4/5 average safety
According to the FDA SAFFA-derived category taxonomy PlainIngredients uses, Processing Aid ranks #8 of 24 by ingredient count (85 additives), with an average composite safety score of 4 out of 5 across the category.
- #8 of 24 by ingredient count
- Category average safety: 4/5
85 ingredients in this category.
Where Processing Aid sits by ingredient count
Processing Aid holds 85 additives among 24 SAFFA-derived categories (inventory size, not a safety ranking).
Processing Aid vs all categories by ingredient count
Where this category's ingredient COUNT sits among every non-empty PlainIngredients category
85 8th of 24 higher than 16 of 24 categories
Categories, banded by ingredient count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more categories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) Inventory · 2026-09-05
4
Activated Carbon
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Alcohol Sda-3a
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Alcohol, Denatured Formula 23a
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Alkanolamide of Coconut Oil Fatty Acids and Diethanolamine
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Alpha-alkyl-omega-hydroxy-poly(oxyethylene)
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Aluminum Ammonium Sulfate Leavening Agent, Ph Control Agent
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Aluminum Hydroxide Color or Coloring Adjunct
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Amyloglucosidase From Rhizopus Niveus Enzyme, Malting or Fermenting Aid
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Calcium Carbonate Anticaking Agent or Free-flow Agent, Color or Coloring Adjunct, Drying Agent, Formulation Aid, Humectant, Leavening Agent, Lubricant
Low Risk
· Approved
5
Calcium Chloride
Safe
· GRAS
4
Calcium Chloride Anticaking Agent or Free-flow Agent, Drying Agent, Enzyme, Firming Agent, Freezing or Cooling Agent, Direct Contact, Fumigant
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Calcium Hydroxide Firming Agent, Nutrient Supplement, Ph Control Agent
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Calcium Iodate Dough Strengthener, Flour Treating Agent, Nutrient Supplement
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Calcium Oxide Anticaking Agent or Free-flow Agent, Dough Strengthener, Firming Agent, Nutrient Supplement, Ph Control Agent
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Candida Guilliermondii
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Carbohydrase and Cellulase From Aspergillus Niger
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Carbohydrase From Rhizopus Oryzae
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Carnauba Wax (copernicia Cerifera (arruda) Mart.) Anticaking Agent or Free-flow Agent, Formulation Aid, Lubricant or Release Agent, Ph Control Agent
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Catalase From Aspergillus Niger Antimicrobial Agent, Enzyme
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Catalase From Bovine Liver Antimicrobial Agent, Enzyme
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Catalase From Penicillium Notatum Antimicrobial Agent, Enzyme
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Chloroform
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Clay, Attapulgite
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Combustion Product Gas Ph Control Agent
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Copper Sulfate Nutrient Supplement
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Cottonseed Flour, Defatted
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Cottonseed Flour, Partially Defatted, Cooked
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Cottonseed Flour, Partially Defatted, Cooked, Toasted Color or Coloring Adjunct
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Cottonseed Kernels, Glandless, Raw
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Cottonseed Kernels, Glandless, Roasted
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Coumarone-indene Resins
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Damar Gum (shorea Dipterocarpaceae)
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Diethylenetriamine
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Diethylenetriamine Crosslinked with Epichlorohydrin
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Dimethylamine-epichlorohydrin Copolymer
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Enzymes, Bacterial Enzyme
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Epichlorohydrin Crosslinked with Ammonia
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Ferric Oxide Color or Coloring Adjunct
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Ficin Enzyme
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Fullers Earth
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Furcelleran
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Ion Exchange Membranes
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Ion Exchange Resin
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Lipase From Aspergillus Oryzae Enzyme
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Magnesium Hydroxide Color or Coloring Adjunct, Drying Agent, Nutrient Supplement, Ph Control Agent
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Methyl Acrylate-divinylbenzene, Completely Hydrolyzed, Copolymer
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Methyl Acrylate-dvb(2%), Copolymer, Aminolyzed with Dmapa
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Methyl Acrylate-dvb(3.5%), Copolymer, Aminolyzed with Dmapa
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Methyl Acrylate-dvb-(deg-divinyl Ether), Aminolyzed, Terpolymer
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Methyl Acrylate-dvb-acrylonitrile, Completely Hydrolyzed, Terpolymer
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Molecular Sieve Resins
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Nickel
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Oxirane (chloromethyl)-, Polymer with Ammonia, Reaction Product with Chloromethane
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Oxystearin
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Papain (carica Papaya L.) Enzyme, Formulation Aid
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Phenol-formaldehyde, Cross-linked, Tetraethylenepentamine Activated
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Phenol-formaldehyde, Cross-linked, Triethylenetetramine & Tetraethylenepentamine Activated
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Phenol-formaldehyde, Cross-linked, Triethylenetetramine Activated
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Phenol-formaldehyde, Sulfite-modified, Cross-linked
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Poly(alkyl(c16-22)acrylate)
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Poly(divinylbenzene-co-trimethyl(vinylbenzyl)ammonium Chloride)
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Polyacrylamide Resin, Modified
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Polymaleic Acid
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Polymaleic Acid, Sodium Salt
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Potassium Bicarbonate Formulation Aid, Leavening Agent, Nutrient Supplement, Ph Control Agent
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Potassium Chloride
Low Risk
· GRAS
4
Potassium Gibberellate
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Propylene Glycol
Low Risk
· GRAS
4
Pulp
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Resin, From Formaldehyde, Acetone, and Tetraethylenepentamine
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Shellac, Purified Anticaking Agent or Free-flow Agent, Drying Agent, Humectant
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Sodium Ascorbate Antioxidant, Color or Coloring Adjunct, Dough Strengthener, Flour Treating Agent, Leavening Agent, Nutrient Supplement, Oxidizing or
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Sodium Erythorbate Antimicrobial Agent, Antioxidant, Color or Coloring Adjunct, Dough Strengthener, Flour Treating Agent, Oxidizing or Reducing Agent
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Sodium Formate
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Sodium Silicate Anticaking Agent or Free-flow Agent, Drying Agent, Humectant
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Starch, Food, Modified: Pullulanase Modified Starch Enzyme
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Styrene, Divinylbenzene, Sulfonated Copolymer
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Styrene-divinylbenzene Copolymer, Chloromethylated, Aminated, Oxidized
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Styrene-divinylbenzene-acrylonitrile, Sulfonated Terpolymer
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Styrene-divinylbenzene-methyl Acrylate, Sulfonated Terpolymer
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Talc Formulation Aid, Masticatory Substance, Non-nutritive Sweetener
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Tetraethylenepentamine Crosslinked with Epichlorohydrin
Low Risk
· Approved
4
Transglutaminase (Meat Glue)
Low Risk
· GRAS
4
Triethylenetetramine Cross-linked with Epichlorohydrin
Low Risk
· Approved
Source: FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) Inventory, EU Food Additive Regulations (EC) No 1333/2008
Compare beyond this category
Nationwide categories with similar additive profiles
Two PlainIngredients-derived peer sets for Processing Aid: closest on tracked ingredient count (85 here) and closest on mean composite safety score (4/5 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood, not a largest-category strip.
Similar ingredient count
Nearest other SAFFA categories by mapped additive count (floored at ≥10).
Similar mean additive safety
Nearest other categories by average mapped safety score (floored at ≥10 scored additives), distinct from the count row.
Other Categories
Acidity Regulator (8)
Anti-caking Agent (4)
Antioxidant (35)
Color Additive (99)
Color/Whitener (1)
Emulsifier (282)
Enzyme (43)
Fat/Oil (1)
Firming Agent (2)
Flavor (1)
Flavor Enhancer (358)
Flavoring Agent (2583)
Flour Treatment (1)
Food Additive (611)
Humectant (7)
Leavening Agent (5)
Nutrient Supplement (85)
Preservative (55)
Sequestrant (8)
Solvent (22)
Sweetener (52)
Texturizer (4)
Thickener (156)
Related
Every figure on PlainIngredients is rendered directly from FDA, EU, EFSA and U.S. state regulatory records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.