Food Additives Guide: What We Monitor & Why
Bottom Line Up Front
CleanFoodScore tracks 6 primary categories of ultra-processed food additives: industrial seed oils, synthetic food dyes, monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, and chemical preservatives. Explore each pillar guide below to understand label aliases and clean replacements.
Seed Oils
Highly processed industrial seed oils.
canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil...
Artificial Dyes
Synthetic food colorings.
red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1...
MSG
Explicit monosodium glutamate (does not include natural glutamates like yeast extract).
monosodium glutamate, msg...
Artificial Sweeteners
Synthetic sugar substitutes.
aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame potassium...
Carrageenan
Extract from red seaweed often used as a thickener.
carrageenan...
Artificial Preservatives
Chemical preservatives used to extend shelf life.
sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, bha, butylated hydroxyanisole...
How CleanFoodScore Matches Additives
Our detection engine parses official label declarations, accounting for nested parentheses, numbered food dye standards (FD&C, E-numbers, INS codes), and conditional allergen declarations ("may contain"). A definite ingredient declaration always supersedes a conditional match, and evidence is re-verified against manufacturer sources every 90 days.