"Some of the snacks finding their way into American pantries contain “concerning levels of additives,” according to new findings by Consumer Reports and the food-scanning app Yuka.
Researchers tested 40 popular grocery products, from baked goods to ice cream and potato chips, measuring concentrations of eight additives and two contaminants and comparing them to safety thresholds for daily consumption set by European and California health officials.
None of the products tested exceeded current guidelines set by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which routinely permits substances at levels “far higher than what other public health authorities consider safe,” according to Consumer Reports.
Of the 13 products tested for Red Dye No. 40, a petroleum-derived synthetic food coloring, five contained enough in a single serving to exceed the daily safety level for children identified by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).
Considered more stringent than the FDA when it comes to assessing the risk of food dyes and additives, a 2021 OEHHA assessment found that synthetic food dyes are associated with “adverse neurobehavioral outcomes” in some children."
Julie Zenderoudi reports for The New Lede June 10, 2026.
