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Ingredients to avoid in food: a sourced checklist of what regulators have actually done.

Updated

There is no official list of bad chemicals in food. This checklist shows ingredients people ask about, with what the FDA, EFSA and IARC have actually decided: Red 3, partially hydrogenated oils, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, titanium dioxide, BHA, nitrite and aspartame.

Quick answer

No agency publishes a list of bad chemicals in food, and being a chemical does not make an ingredient harmful. What exists are specific decisions. The FDA has revoked Red No. 3, brominated vegetable oil and partially hydrogenated oils from general use. EFSA says titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive. IARC classifies BHA, potassium bromate, titanium dioxide and aspartame as possibly carcinogenic (Group 2B), which describes evidence strength, not risk size. The table below lists each with the date and source.

Official “bad chemical” list
None exists
FDA revoked
Red 3, BVO, partially hydrogenated oils
EFSA 2021
Titanium dioxide not safe
IARC 2B means
Limited evidence

Your avoid list

Comparison tables and product pages use your saved list. Search products

01 · A closer look

The checklist with sources.

Each row states only what the cited source says, with its date. “Possibly carcinogenic” and similar IARC wording describes how strong the evidence is that a hazard exists, not how large the risk is at normal intake.

Ingredients people ask about and what regulators decided
IngredientWhat the source saysDate
FD&C Red No. 3FDA revoked authorization under the Delaney Clause; food makers have until Jan 15, 2027Content current Oct 5, 2026
Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3Still approved; FDA announced a voluntary phase-out effort; EU requires a behavior warning on three of themApr 22, 2025
Partially hydrogenated oilsFDA determined they are not generally recognized as safe; the manufacturing deadline was June 18, 2018 for non-petitioned uses and June 18, 2019 for petitioned usesJune 16, 2015
Brominated vegetable oilFDA revoked its authorization after NIH-collaborative studies found potential for adverse effects in humans; rule effective Aug 2, 2024July 2, 2024
Titanium dioxide (E171)EFSA: can no longer be considered safe as a food additive because genotoxicity concerns could not be excluded; IARC Group 2BMay 6, 2021
Potassium bromateIARC Group 2B; no human data, sufficient animal evidenceVolume 73, 1999
BHAIARC Group 2BVolume 40 and Supplement 7, 1987
Nitrite in cured meatIARC: ingested nitrite under conditions of endogenous nitrosation is Group 2A; processed meat is Group 1Volumes 94 and 114
AspartameIARC Group 2B; JECFA left the acceptable daily intake unchangedJuly 14, 2023

02 · A closer look

Why “chemical” is the wrong test.

Water, salt and vitamin C are chemicals. Useful questions are narrower: what does a regulator or the International Agency for Research on Cancer say about this specific ingredient, how strong is the evidence, and at what intake. A short ingredient list is often the simplest filter, and our additive guides explain each group.

FDA: food additives and GRAS ingredients, information for consumers (current as of May 24, 2024)

03 · A closer look

What is regulation and what is preference.

Revocations such as Red 3, brominated vegetable oil and partially hydrogenated oils are decisions by the FDA. Voluntary phase-outs, EU labels and IARC classifications are different: they signal concern or limited evidence, not a ban. Many shoppers avoid more than the law requires, and this site lets you choose which of nine groups to flag.

04 · A closer look

Foods that list restricted-abroad ingredients.

The products below list an ingredient from the restricted-abroad group (such as potassium bromate or titanium dioxide) on their recorded label, picked across shelves. Open a product for its full ingredient statement and verification date.

The short answer

Our picks for ingredients to avoid in food

No pick yetEvery scored ingredients to avoid in food label lists at least one of the groups we check, so nothing here earns a pick.

Clear noMountain Dew Pitch Black Ii, Soda, Grape (lists seed oils, artificial dyes, artificial preservatives, corn syrups and banned-abroad additives), Borden Cottage Cheese (lists artificial dyes, carrageenan, artificial preservatives and banned-abroad additives), Lunds & Byerlys Mini Lemon Shortbread Cookies (lists seed oils, artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils and banned-abroad additives), plus 9 more with a listed group.

Ranked from 12 of 12 products with current labels. Every product is in the table below; a score reflects labels and claims, not nutrition, allergies or safety.

Compare the recorded labels

Find the ingredients that matter to you.

12 of 12 products

“No …” columns: None found on the label · Listed on the label · Unknown. Diet fit: Fits · Doesn’t fit · Unknown (rules; not medical advice). Claims: verified · not established. Default: most check marks first; not a health score.

Compare product claims and recorded ingredients. Click a column heading to sort.
Buy
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
53 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
47 / 1006 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →3
47 / 1006 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →2
47 / 1006 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
47 / 1006 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
39 / 1005 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →1
39 / 1005 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
33 / 1005 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
31 / 1004 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →2
How the clean score works

No setup needed, and strict: a full 100 needs every additive group clear and a verified organic claim (animal foods also need a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim; wild seafood and salt, which have no USDA organic standard, are scored without the organic points, and plant-based milks, cheeses and proteins without the feeding claim). Points: the nine additive groups (seed oils, artificial dyes, MSG, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, corn syrups, banned-abroad additives) share 60 points equally — not found earns a group’s full share, “may contain” earns half, listed earns 0; a verified organic claim is worth 25; a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim is worth 15 and counts only for animal foods. No claim, or an expired or unverified claim, earns nothing, so products without those claims cannot reach 100. Unverified or expired ingredient labels receive no score. Equal scores are equal. Ties are ordered by brand. Unknown and stale evidence never passes “Only show matches.” Producer claims and prices do not affect this score. This is not a nutrition, allergy, or safety rating.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying links do not influence ingredient results. “Buy on Amazon” opens a reviewed product listing; “Find where to buy” opens the maker’s page. Confirm the package, seller, stock, and current price before checkout. Price observations expire after 30 days.

Primary sources

Sources

  1. FDA: FD&C Red No. 3 (current as of Oct 5, 2026) fda.gov
  2. HHS and FDA: phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes (April 22, 2025) fda.gov
  3. FDA: final determination regarding partially hydrogenated oils (content current as of Oct 1, 2024) fda.gov
  4. FDA: revokes regulation allowing the use of brominated vegetable oil in food (July 2, 2024) fda.gov
  5. EFSA: titanium dioxide E171 no longer considered safe when used as a food additive (May 6, 2021) efsa.europa.eu
  6. IARC Monographs: agents classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1 to 123 (official list) monographs.iarc.who.int
  7. IARC: Q&A on the carcinogenicity of red meat and processed meat (Monographs Volume 114, October 2015) iarc.who.int
  8. WHO: aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released (July 14, 2023) who.int
  9. EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, Article 24 and Annex V eur-lex.europa.eu

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