A Wake-Up Call About What’s Hiding in America’s Favorite Snacks

By Sally Greenberg, NCL CEO

A new Consumer Reports investigation released this week left me shocked—and frankly, disgusted. 

Consumer Reports, working with the food transparency app Yuka, tested more than 120 samples of 40 popular processed foods and found troubling levels of additives and contaminants in many of the products Americans consume every day. Even more disturbing, many of these foods are heavily marketed to and consumed by children. 

The findings should concern every parent, consumer, and policymaker. Consumer Reports found that about 25 percent of the products tested contained additive levels high enough that a single serving exceeded what some public health authorities consider a safe daily limit. When contaminants were factored in, that figure rose to more than one-third of the products tested. Eleven products exceeded safety benchmarks for adults, while 14 exceeded recommended limits for children. 

One finding stood out in particular. A single serving of Hostess Donette’s Powdered Mini Donuts contained nearly 19 times the amount of glycidyl esters—a probable carcinogen—that experts consider safe to consume in a day. Other popular products, including Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Takis Fuego, and grape Kool-Aid, contain elevated levels of additives or contaminants linked to neurobehavioral effects, DNA damage, and other potential health risks. 

As the staff at the National Consumers League knows, I occasionally indulge in junk food. After reading this report, those favorites have lost their appeal. 

But this issue is much bigger than my snack choices. 

Consumers should not have to rely on independent investigations to discover what may be lurking in foods sold on grocery store shelves. Food manufacturers have a responsibility to monitor their products, test contaminants, and ensure that the foods they market—especially to children—meet the highest possible safety standards. 

That is why I want to thank Consumer Reports for conducting this investigation and bringing these findings to light. This is what consumer protection looks like. Independent testing, rigorous research, and a willingness to ask hard questions are essential to protecting the public and holding corporations accountable. 

The report also raises broader questions about the adequacy of our nation’s food safety system. As Consumer Reports notes, the United States often permits additives at levels that exceed those allowed in other countries, and some substances lack meaningful regulatory limits altogether. Consumers deserve stronger oversight and greater transparency from both industry and regulators. 

Food companies should not wait for negative headlines to act. I urge food manufacturers to proactively identify and address these problems before products reach store shelves. Regulators must also strengthen oversight and set clearer, enforceable safety standards. Consumers deserve prompt, transparent explanations and concrete plans for improvement when issues are found. 

The National Consumers League will be watching closely to see how the companies named in this report respond. Americans place their trust in the brands they purchase for themselves and their families. That trust must be earned—and protected. 

Consumer Reports has done consumers a tremendous service. Now I call on food manufacturers to rigorously ensure product safety and transparency and urge regulators to enact stricter oversight and clear standards. It’s time for them to protect consumers as diligently as this investigation has.