Encyclopedia
Ingredients the matcher knows
Each page lists the label names and codes, the aisles where the phrase usually shows up, and a checker you can paste a panel into. Nothing here is a safety, allergy, or nutrition ruling.
Seed oils
On chips, crackers, dressings, and boxed dinners the oil is often a parenthesis: vegetable oil (canola, sunflower, and/or soybean). Match each named oil. If the label stops at vegetable oil, treat that phrase as its own preference hit because the source seed is unnamed.
- Canola oilA seed oil from rapeseed, printed as canola oil or rapeseed oil.
- Soybean oilThe oil pressed from soybeans, including hydrogenated soybean oil when the label says so.
- Corn oilOil from the corn germ. Corn syrup, cornstarch, and corn flour are not this ingredient.
- Cottonseed oilOil from cotton seeds, a frequent unnamed member of US vegetable-oil blends.
- Sunflower oilOil from sunflower seeds, including high-oleic versions. Sunflower lecithin is not included.
- Safflower oilOil from safflower seeds, including high-oleic safflower oil.
- Grapeseed oilOil pressed from grape seeds. Grape juice and grapes are not this ingredient.
- Rice bran oilOil from the bran layer of rice. Brown rice syrup is not this ingredient.
- Vegetable oil (source unnamed)A printed vegetable-oil line that does not name the seed in that same phrase.
- Hydrogenated vegetable oilVegetable oil the label describes as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated, source still unnamed.
Artificial dyes
Dyes hide in 'color added', cheese powders, kids' yogurts, and fruit drinks. Match the specific name or number that is printed. Do not infer a dye from a colorful photo.
- Red 40Allura Red, the FD&C red dye numbered 40, also printed as E129.
- Yellow 5Tartrazine, printed in the US as Yellow 5 or FD&C Yellow No. 5.
- Yellow 6Sunset Yellow, printed in the US as Yellow 6 or FD&C Yellow No. 6.
- Blue 1Brilliant Blue FCF, printed in the US as Blue 1.
- Blue 2Indigo carmine, printed in the US as Blue 2.
- Green 3Fast Green FCF, printed in the US as Green 3.
- Red 3Erythrosine, printed in the US as Red 3.
- Caramel Color IVClass IV caramel color, also called sulfite ammonia caramel or E150d.
- Caramel color (class unspecified)Caramel color printed without a class. The matcher does not guess Class III or IV.
- Titanium dioxideA white pigment printed as titanium dioxide, E171, or CI 77891.
Added refined sugars
A sweet taste is not the same thing as an added sugar on the ingredient list. Honey and maple syrup are not in this V1 list. 'Sugar-free' and 'no added sugar' are negations, not hits.
- High-fructose corn syrupA corn sweetener printed as high-fructose corn syrup, HFCS, or glucose-fructose syrup.
- Corn syrupCorn syrup named without the words high-fructose or solids.
- Corn syrup solidsDried corn syrup, printed as corn syrup solids.
- DextroseDextrose, also printed as glucose syrup or corn sugar.
- MaltodextrinA refined starch ingredient printed as maltodextrin.
- Cane sugarSugar the label identifies as cane sugar, cane juice, or evaporated cane juice.
- Invert sugarSucrose broken into glucose and fructose, printed as invert sugar or invert syrup.
- Brown rice syrupA syrup from rice, often used in bars as the sweetener.
- SugarThe word sugar and close printed forms such as sucrose, beet sugar, and powdered sugar.
- Brown sugarBrown sugar printed as its own ingredient.
- Juice concentrateJuice concentrate printed as a sweetener or juice ingredient.
Gums & emulsifiers
These often sit after 'contains 2% or less of'. They still count. Sunflower lecithin is not soybean oil, and soy lecithin is not the same line as soybean oil.
- Polysorbate 80An emulsifier printed as polysorbate 80, Tween 80, or E433.
- CarrageenanA seaweed-derived thickener printed as carrageenan or E407.
- Xanthan gumA fermentation gum printed as xanthan gum or E415.
- Guar gumA legume gum printed as guar gum or E412.
- Cellulose gumCarboxymethylcellulose, printed as cellulose gum, CMC, or E466.
- Mono- and diglyceridesAn emulsifier printed as mono- and diglycerides or E471.
- DATEMA dough-strengthener emulsifier printed as DATEM or its long chemical name.
- Soy lecithinLecithin the label identifies as soy, soya, or soybean.
- Sunflower lecithinLecithin the label identifies as sunflower. It is not sunflower oil.
- Lecithin (source unnamed)Lecithin printed without a soy or sunflower source, plus the code E322.
- Brominated vegetable oilBrominated vegetable oil, filed with emulsifiers and also with seed oils.
- Locust bean gumA thickener printed as locust bean gum, carob bean gum, or E410.
- Gum arabicA tree gum printed as gum arabic, acacia gum, or E414.
Artificial sweeteners
Diet, light, and 'no sugar added' products often trade sugar for sucralose, aspartame, or acesulfame potassium. Sugar alcohols such as erythritol stay off unless the household turns that toggle on.
- SucraloseA high-intensity sweetener printed as sucralose or E955.
- AspartameA high-intensity sweetener printed as aspartame or E951.
- Acesulfame potassiumAcesulfame potassium, also printed as acesulfame K, Ace-K, or E950.
- SaccharinSaccharin, including sodium saccharin and E954.
- NeotameA high-intensity sweetener printed as neotame or E961.
- AdvantameA high-intensity sweetener printed as advantame or E969.
- ErythritolA sugar alcohol printed as erythritol or E968. Off unless the sugar-alcohol toggle is on.
- XylitolA sugar alcohol printed as xylitol or E967. Off unless the sugar-alcohol toggle is on.
- SorbitolA sugar alcohol printed as sorbitol or E420. Off unless the sugar-alcohol toggle is on.
- MaltitolA sugar alcohol printed as maltitol, maltitol syrup, or E965.
- MannitolA sugar alcohol printed as mannitol or E421. Off unless the sugar-alcohol toggle is on.
- IsomaltA sugar alcohol printed as isomalt or E953. Off unless the sugar-alcohol toggle is on.
Preservatives & additives
This is not a complete additive census. Yeast in bread dough is not yeast extract. MSG, autolyzed yeast extract, and yeast extract are matched only when those phrases are printed.
- BHAButylated hydroxyanisole, printed as BHA or E320.
- BHTButylated hydroxytoluene, printed as BHT or E321.
- TBHQTertiary butylhydroquinone, printed as TBHQ or E319.
- Sodium benzoateA preservative printed as sodium benzoate or E211.
- Potassium bromatePotassium bromate or bromated flour, printed on some bakery labels.
- Sodium nitriteCuring salts printed as sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, E250, or E251.
- Propyl gallateAn antioxidant preservative printed as propyl gallate or E310.
- MSGMonosodium glutamate, printed as MSG or E621.
- Autolyzed yeast extractYeast extract and autolyzed yeast extract. Baker's yeast alone does not match.
- Potassium sorbateA mold inhibitor printed as potassium sorbate or E202.
- Calcium propionateA bakery mold inhibitor printed as calcium propionate or E282.