What's really on the labels: 262 scanned food and drink products, analyzed
We analyzed ingredient lists of 262 foods and drinks Aurascan users scanned in 2026: natural flavors, synthetic dyes, sweeteners and ultra-processing.
Published September 29, 2026 · Data pulled September 29, 2026
By Chris Carrillo · Reviewed by Armin Rad, Co-Founder & CTO · September 29, 2026
Every article is checked against primary sources before publication. How we review
Sample: 327 products in the catalog, 296 with an ingredient list, 262 of them food or beverage. Scanned May 13, 2026 to September 29, 2026.
Headline findings
47%
of scanned food and drink products list "natural flavor(s)", the most common additive-type ingredient (55 of 91 drinks).
122 of 262 · 95% CI 40.6–52.6%
10%
contain at least one synthetic FD&C dye such as Red 40, Yellow 5 or Blue 1 (about 1 in 10).
26 of 262 · 95% CI 6.9–14.1%
22%
of chips, sodas and candy contain a dye that needs a child-attention warning label in the EU (21 of 262 across all food and drink).
14 of 64 · 95% CI 13.5–33.4%
74%
of products with an Open Food Facts NOVA rating are NOVA 4 (ultra-processed).
151 of 204 · 95% CI 67.6–79.6%
36%
of scanned drinks use a non-sugar sweetener, vs 13 of 171 food items (8%).
33 of 91 · 95% CI 27.1–46.5%
1 of 262
food product contained an additive banned in EU food (titanium dioxide, in a cookie). None had Red 3, BVO, potassium bromate or propylparaben.
1 of 262 · 95% CI 0.1–2.1%
The numbers
Every share is printed with its count, denominator and 95% confidence interval (Wilson). Download all aggregates (CSV)
How many scanned food and drink products list each ingredient
Share of food & drink products with an ingredient list
| Group | Share | Count and 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| Added sugar (any kind)133 of 262 · 95% CI 44.7–56.8% | 50.8% | 133 of 26295% CI 44.7–56.8% |
| Salt131 of 262 · 95% CI 44.0–56.0% | 50.0% | 131 of 26295% CI 44.0–56.0% |
| Natural flavor(s)122 of 262 · 95% CI 40.6–52.6% | 46.6% | 122 of 26295% CI 40.6–52.6% |
| Preservative (any)64 of 262 · 95% CI 19.6–30.0% | 24.4% | 64 of 26295% CI 19.6–30.0% |
| Non-sugar sweetener (any)46 of 262 · 95% CI 13.4–22.6% | 17.6% | 46 of 26295% CI 13.4–22.6% |
| Artificial flavor(s)39 of 262 · 95% CI 11.1–19.7% | 14.9% | 39 of 26295% CI 11.1–19.7% |
| Synthetic FD&C dye (any)26 of 262 · 95% CI 6.9–14.1% | 9.9% | 26 of 26295% CI 6.9–14.1% |
| High fructose corn syrup15 of 262 · 95% CI 3.5–9.2% | 5.7% | 15 of 26295% CI 3.5–9.2% |
Drinks vs food items
Share of 91 drinks / 171 food items
| Group | Share | Count and 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| Natural flavor: drinks55 of 91 · 95% CI 50.2–69.9% | 60.4% | 55 of 9195% CI 50.2–69.9% |
| Natural flavor: food items67 of 171 · 95% CI 32.2–46.7% | 39.2% | 67 of 17195% CI 32.2–46.7% |
| Non-sugar sweetener: drinks33 of 91 · 95% CI 27.1–46.5% | 36.3% | 33 of 9195% CI 27.1–46.5% |
| Non-sugar sweetener: food items13 of 171 · 95% CI 4.5–12.6% | 7.6% | 13 of 17195% CI 4.5–12.6% |
| HFCS: drinks13 of 91 · 95% CI 8.5–22.9% | 14.3% | 13 of 9195% CI 8.5–22.9% |
| HFCS: food items2 of 171 · 95% CI 0.3–4.2% | 1.2% | 2 of 17195% CI 0.3–4.2% |
| Synthetic dye: drinks10 of 91 · 95% CI 6.1–19.1% | 11.0% | 10 of 9195% CI 6.1–19.1% |
| Synthetic dye: food items16 of 171 · 95% CI 5.8–14.7% | 9.4% | 16 of 17195% CI 5.8–14.7% |
Which non-sugar sweeteners appear in scanned drinks
Share of drinks with an ingredient list
| Group | Share | Count and 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| Sucralose18 of 91 · 95% CI 12.9–29.1% | 19.8% | 18 of 9195% CI 12.9–29.1% |
| Acesulfame potassium16 of 91 · 95% CI 11.1–26.7% | 17.6% | 16 of 9195% CI 11.1–26.7% |
| Aspartame11 of 91 · 95% CI 6.9–20.4% | 12.1% | 11 of 9195% CI 6.9–20.4% |
| Erythritol2 of 91 · 95% CI 0.6–7.7% | 2.2% | 2 of 9195% CI 0.6–7.7% |
| Stevia / steviol6 of 91 · 95% CI 3.1–13.6% | 6.6% | 6 of 9195% CI 3.1–13.6% |
| Monk fruit2 of 91 · 95% CI 0.6–7.7% | 2.2% | 2 of 9195% CI 0.6–7.7% |
| Saccharin0 of 91 · 95% CI 0.0–4.1% | 0.0% | 0 of 9195% CI 0.0–4.1% |
Products with an EU-warning dye, by category
Share of products in each category with an ingredient list
| Group | Share | Count and 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| Chips & Crisps6 of 23 · 95% CI 12.5–46.5% | 26.1% | 6 of 2395% CI 12.5–46.5% |
| Candy & Chocolate4 of 19 · 95% CI 8.5–43.3% | 21.1% | 4 of 1995% CI 8.5–43.3% |
| Soda4 of 22 · 95% CI 7.3–38.5% | 18.2% | 4 of 2295% CI 7.3–38.5% |
| Sports & Energy Drinks2 of 17 · 95% CI 3.3–34.3% | 11.8% | 2 of 1795% CI 3.3–34.3% |
| Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts1 of 12 · 95% CI 1.5–35.4% | 8.3% | 1 of 1295% CI 1.5–35.4% |
| Juice1 of 13 · 95% CI 1.4–33.3% | 7.7% | 1 of 1395% CI 1.4–33.3% |
| Water0 of 13 · 95% CI 0.0–22.8% | 0.0% | 0 of 1395% CI 0.0–22.8% |
| Nutrition & Protein Bars0 of 12 · 95% CI 0.0–24.3% | 0.0% | 0 of 1295% CI 0.0–24.3% |
Processing level (Open Food Facts NOVA group)
Share of products with a NOVA rating
| Group | Share | Count and 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| NOVA 1: unprocessed / minimally processed26 of 204 · 95% CI 8.8–18.0% | 12.7% | 26 of 20495% CI 8.8–18.0% |
| NOVA 2: culinary ingredients3 of 204 · 95% CI 0.5–4.2% | 1.5% | 3 of 20495% CI 0.5–4.2% |
| NOVA 3: processed24 of 204 · 95% CI 8.0–16.9% | 11.8% | 24 of 20495% CI 8.0–16.9% |
| NOVA 4: ultra-processed151 of 204 · 95% CI 67.6–79.6% | 74.0% | 151 of 20495% CI 67.6–79.6% |
Nutri-Score grade
Share of products with a Nutri-Score
| Group | Share | Count and 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| A15 of 161 · 95% CI 5.7–14.8% | 9.3% | 15 of 16195% CI 5.7–14.8% |
| B18 of 161 · 95% CI 7.2–17.0% | 11.2% | 18 of 16195% CI 7.2–17.0% |
| C43 of 161 · 95% CI 20.5–34.0% | 26.7% | 43 of 16195% CI 20.5–34.0% |
| D42 of 161 · 95% CI 19.9–33.4% | 26.1% | 42 of 16195% CI 19.9–33.4% |
| E43 of 161 · 95% CI 20.5–34.0% | 26.7% | 43 of 16195% CI 20.5–34.0% |
Number of ingredients per product
Share of products with an ingredient list (all categories)
| Group | Share | Count and 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1-461 of 296 · 95% CI 16.4–25.6% | 20.6% | 61 of 29695% CI 16.4–25.6% |
| 5-965 of 296 · 95% CI 17.6–27.0% | 22.0% | 65 of 29695% CI 17.6–27.0% |
| 10-1470 of 296 · 95% CI 19.2–28.8% | 23.6% | 70 of 29695% CI 19.2–28.8% |
| 15-1936 of 296 · 95% CI 8.9–16.4% | 12.2% | 36 of 29695% CI 8.9–16.4% |
| 20-2427 of 296 · 95% CI 6.3–12.9% | 9.1% | 27 of 29695% CI 6.3–12.9% |
| 25-2913 of 296 · 95% CI 2.6–7.4% | 4.4% | 13 of 29695% CI 2.6–7.4% |
| 30-3414 of 296 · 95% CI 2.8–7.8% | 4.7% | 14 of 29695% CI 2.8–7.8% |
| 35+10 of 296 · 95% CI 1.8–6.1% | 3.4% | 10 of 29695% CI 1.8–6.1% |
How many of five flagged ingredient types each food product contains
Share of food & drink products with an ingredient list
| Group | Share | Count and 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| 0 types142 of 262 · 95% CI 48.1–60.1% | 54.2% | 142 of 26295% CI 48.1–60.1% |
| 1 type68 of 262 · 95% CI 21.0–31.6% | 26.0% | 68 of 26295% CI 21.0–31.6% |
| 2 types37 of 262 · 95% CI 10.4–18.9% | 14.1% | 37 of 26295% CI 10.4–18.9% |
| 3 types12 of 262 · 95% CI 2.6–7.8% | 4.6% | 12 of 26295% CI 2.6–7.8% |
| 4 types3 of 262 · 95% CI 0.4–3.3% | 1.1% | 3 of 26295% CI 0.4–3.3% |
Methodology
We analyzed every product in the Aurascan catalog on 2026-09-29. A product enters the catalog when an Aurascan app user scans its barcode; the first was added on 2026-05-13.
Of 327 products, 296 had a parsed ingredient list and 262 of those were food or drink (171 food items, 91 beverages) by their product category. Headline figures use the 262 food and drink products.
Ingredient lists come from Go-UPC, USDA FoodData Central Branded Foods and Open Food Facts, plus 2 lists read from user-submitted label photos.
Each ingredient was matched case-insensitively against its common names, E-numbers and 'No./#' forms (for example Red 40, Red No. 40, Allura Red, E129, Red 40 Lake). A product counts once per ingredient however many times it appears.
EU-warning dyes are the six 'Southampton' colours (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129) that must carry the warning 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children' in the EU. EU-banned additives checked: titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, propylparaben and Red 3 (erythrosine).
NOVA group and Nutri-Score come from Open Food Facts and cover the 204 and 161 products Open Food Facts had rated.
Percentages are count / denominator; every count and denominator is published. We report product-level prevalence, not scan-weighted figures. Only aggregate counts were used; no individual user or scan data is included.
Sample size and caveats
- This is a sample of what Aurascan app users chose to scan, not a random or representative sample of US groceries. Snacks, sodas, candy and energy drinks are over-represented.
- The sample is small (262 food and drink products). Per-category figures rest on 12-23 products and can move a lot with one product.
- 92% of products carry a US/Canada barcode, so EU comparisons describe what EU rules would require of these US products, not a two-market comparison.
- Ingredient lists come from third-party databases of varying quality; ingredient counts are approximate.
- NOVA and Nutri-Score only cover products matched in Open Food Facts, which is more likely to rate mass-market packaged goods.
- This is a single snapshot (May to September 2026). It shows no trends over time.
- The study counts what labels list. It makes no claim about the health effects of any ingredient.
How to cite
This study and its data are licensed under CC BY 4.0. Reuse the numbers and charts freely with credit and a link to this page.
Carrillo, C. (2026). What's really on the labels: 262 scanned food and drink products, analyzed. Aurascan. https://www.aurascan.app/research/food-label-study-2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
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