Artificial food colorings and high-fructose corn syrup in US packaged foods: evidence from ingredient lists, 2005–2024

Purpose This study aims to examine the prevalence, evolution and distribution (that is, the variation across food categories and market segments) of artificial food colorings and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) – together with other unpaired (“free”) fructose sweeteners, including crystalline fructose, fructose, agave and apple juice, referred to collectively as HFCS+ – in the US packaged-food supply. These additives have become central to regulatory and political debates due to growing health concerns and uneven regulatory responses. Using nationwide product-level data, the paper documents how the use of artificial colorings and HFCS+ has changed over time and how their presence varies across food categories and market segments, with particular attention to differences between branded and private-label products. Design/methodology/approach The study uses nationwide, barcode-level data on US packaged foods from 2005 to 2024. Ingredient lists are extracted directly from product packaging using optical character recognition (OCR) and text-based matching to identify the presence of artificial food colorings and HFCS. For HFCS, detection is broadened to capture other concentrated sources of unpaired (“free”) fructose (e.g. crystalline fructose and agave and apple juice). Products are classified by food category, year and market segment (branded versus private-label), allowing systematic analysis of prevalence levels and trends. Findings Artificial food colorings and HFCS+ are widespread. Approximately one in six products contains at least one artificial coloring and about one in eight contains HFCS or other unpaired fructose, with particularly high prevalence in candy, fruit snacks, beverages and snack foods. Products frequently contain multiple colorings, indicating systematic use. Over time, the presence of both additives has declined substantially in branded products, consistent with reformulation efforts. In contrast, private-label products exhibit persistently higher – and often rising – prevalence, especially for HFCS+, resulting in increasingly unequal exposure across market segments. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper provides the first nationwide, barcode-level evidence on artificial food colorings and HFCS+ in US packaged foods over two decades using verified ingredient lists. By documenting uneven reformulation across market segments, the study offers timely insights for policy debates on food regulation, labeling and distributional impacts.