Methodology & Data Sources

Accuracy Commitment

PlainIngredients reproduces FDA, EU, and state regulatory data exactly as published by the respective authorities. Safety scores are derived algorithmically from regulatory status — not from editorial opinion. When an ingredient's regulatory status changes (such as when the FDA revokes a food additive authorization or a state enacts a new ban), PlainIngredients updates the affected records. Ingredients with insufficient data to assign a definitive safety score are clearly marked rather than estimated.

Data Sources

  • FDA SAFFA (Substances Added to Food): The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's comprehensive inventory of substances added to food, formerly known as EAFUS. Includes GRAS substances, approved food additives, color additives, and prior-sanctioned substances. Cross-checked against CDC guidance and PubMed (NIH) indexed safety studies.
  • EU Food Additives Regulations — (EC) No 1333/2008: The European Union's approved list of food additives, which differs from the US list in some important ways. Ingredients permitted in the US but banned in the EU are flagged.
  • State Legislation: Food safety bills and enacted laws from state legislatures, particularly California (Food Safety Act), New York, and other states that have moved to ban specific additives.
  • Peer-Reviewed Scientific Literature: Studies published in peer-reviewed journals on the safety, carcinogenicity, or health effects of specific food additives, particularly those with GRAS status under review.

Safety Score Scale

Each ingredient receives a safety score from 1 to 5:

  • Score 1 — Banned/Avoid: FDA-prohibited ingredients, or ingredients with strong evidence of serious harm
  • Score 2 — Caution: FDA-approved but banned in the EU, subject to active state bans, or with significant peer-reviewed safety concerns
  • Score 3 — Mixed Evidence: Some published studies raise concerns but evidence is inconclusive or limited to high-dose animal studies
  • Score 4 — Low Risk: Generally considered safe with minimal documented concerns; few or no studies indicating harm at normal consumption levels
  • Score 5 — Generally Safe: FDA GRAS designation with strong safety record and no significant adverse findings in the scientific literature

Score Assignment Process

  1. Determine FDA regulatory status from SAFFA: GRAS, Approved Additive, Prior-Sanctioned, or Prohibited
  2. Check EU status under EC 1333/2008: permitted, restricted, or banned
  3. Check for active US state bans or pending legislation
  4. Review relevant peer-reviewed literature for safety signals
  5. Assign score using the 1–5 scale; where data sources conflict, err toward caution

Limitations

  • Safety scores reflect regulatory status and published research as of the data review date; new studies may change assessments
  • GRAS status means safe at normal consumption levels in food — it does not mean zero risk at all doses
  • Individual sensitivity, allergies, and health conditions are not accounted for in scores
  • This data does not constitute medical or dietary advice

Update Cadence & Corrections

Regulatory records change continuously: the FDA revises SAFFA entries, the EU amends Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, and state legislatures pass new food-safety statutes throughout the year. We re-ingest each upstream source on a rolling schedule and re-derive affected safety scores whenever a substance's status changes — for example, when an additive moves from permitted to prohibited, or when a state ban takes effect. Because upstream agencies publish on their own timelines, a very recent regulatory action may not yet be reflected here; the date shown on each record indicates when that entry was last reviewed against its source.

When sources disagree — a substance permitted in the US but restricted in the EU, or flagged in peer-reviewed literature while still holding GRAS status — we surface the conflict rather than hide it, and the derived score errs toward caution. If you identify a discrepancy between our data and the official source, report it through our contact page with the agency reference, and we will verify the record against the primary source and correct it.

Contact

Questions or corrections? Contact us.