Food dyesIssue #37
The Hidden Dangers of Red Dye 40
Europe makes this dye carry a warning label for children. America puts it in cereal. Here is what the research actually says.
Issue #42 out now
Know what's in your food.
We read the labels nobody reads, follow the science wherever it leads, and send you one honest investigation every Tuesday morning. Free, always.
Free every Tuesday · 7am
01
Latest investigations
Ingredient exposés built on public records, regulator filings, and peer-reviewed research — written in plain words, with every claim sourced.
SweetenersIssue #38
High Fructose Corn Syrup vs Sugar: The Real Difference
One of these has a worse reputation. The science says the real problem is the one they share.
Fats & oilsIssue #39
Trans Fats Are Still Here (And Hiding)
The FDA told industry to remove them by 2020. A labeling loophole lets "0g trans fat" mean something else.
AdditivesIssue #40
MSG: The Flavor Enhancer Nobody Admits to Using
It started with a letter in 1968. Fifty years of research later, the story is more boring — and more honest — than the rumor.
SweetenersIssue #41
Artificial Sweeteners: Not as Safe as We Thought
The WHO now says diet sweeteners don't help with weight control. And the aspartame debate is a real argument between experts.
SweetenersIssue #42
The Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup
Developed in the 1950s, everywhere by the 1980s, fading since 1999. The deepest look we've done at America's most argued-about ingredient.
02
The Ingredient Index
Twelve of the most debated ingredients in American food, rated High / Medium / Low by our editors — with plain-word explanations and label aliases so you can spot them in the store.
12
Ingredients profiled
From Red 40 to carrageenan, each with E-numbers, aliases, and risk bullets.
3
Risk levels
High, Medium, Low — our editorial judgment, shown next to the evidence.
10
Categories
Sweeteners, dyes, preservatives, emulsifiers, and more. Search and filter live.
03
Point. Shoot. Know.
The ConsumerRise label scanner reads any product label photo and decodes what's really inside — matched against our Ingredient Index. Free members get 3 scans a day.
- Snap a photo of any label, or upload one from your camera roll
- Get every flagged ingredient explained in plain words
- Your photos stay yours — nothing sold, ever
ConsumerRise Pro
Go deeper than the free letter.
Pro members get exclusive deep-dive investigations, the advanced product database, the restaurant guide, and every downloadable toolkit — for less than one takeout lunch a month.
Free newsletter
One honest email.
One honest email.
Every Tuesday.
Join thousands of readers who start their week knowing exactly what's in their cart.