Center for Science in the Public Interest

What Center for Science in the Public Interest does

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The organization focuses on nutrition, food safety, food labeling, and public health policy, operating through science-based advocacy, public education, and coalition building rather than commercial product delivery. It serves health-conscious consumers, federal and state policymakers, healthcare professionals, and community-based food policy organizations, and is funded exclusively through individual tax-deductible donations rather than corporate contributions.

CSPI's offerings center on its subscription publication Nutrition Action and several free public databases including the Chemical Cuisine food additive safety ratings and the Caffeine Chart, supplemented by topic-specific newsletters such as The Straight Shot (federal vaccine policy) and Healthy Cook's Kitchen recipe content. The organization also operates the Food Policy Catalyst philanthropic initiative, which provides financial subgrants and capacity-building support to 21 partner organizations across 15 states for community-based food policy advocacy on SNAP, child nutrition, sweetened beverage taxes, and food labeling. CSPI monetizes through individual donations (one-time, monthly, partnership tiers), Nutrition Action subscriptions sold via store.nutritionaction.com, and disburses funds downstream to grantees.

Go-to-market is community-led: CSPI mobilizes supporters via email campaigns and action alerts, maintains a presence across major social platforms, testifies before Congress, submits comment letters to the FDA and FTC, and partners with state legislators and allied organizations such as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Justice Catalyst Law, the People's Parity Project, and Doctors for America. The 2025-2030 Strategic Plan signals continued expansion into adjacent issue areas including biotechnology, laboratory-developed tests, and food-environment policy.

Name

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Legal name

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Website

https://cspinet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CSPI is an independent, donor-funded 501(c)(3) founded in 1971 that advocates on nutrition, food safety, and public health policy through the Nutrition Action magazine, public education databases, and the Food Policy Catalyst partner network spanning 15 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: CSPI is funded primarily through tax-deductible contributions from individual donors. The organization explicitly states it does not accept corporate donations, which is a key differentiator for its advocacy credibility.
2. Nutrition Action Magazine Subscriptions: Revenue from subscriptions to Nutrition Action, CSPI's published magazine providing science-based nutrition and health advice. Subscriptions are available through store.nutritionaction.com.
3. Donor Subgrants and Capacity Building: CSPI provides financial subgrants and capacity-building support to 21 Food Policy Catalyst partner organizations across 15 states as part of its philanthropic initiative focused on community-based food policy advocacy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CSPI is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that conducts science-based policy advocacy and public education on nutrition, food safety, dietary supplements, and public health. The organization publishes the Nutrition Action magazine, maintains consumer-facing databases such as Chemical Cuisine and the Caffeine Chart, and runs the Food Policy Catalyst initiative providing subgrants to 21 partner organizations across 15 states for community-based food policy advocacy.

Product overview

CSPI is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization focused on nutrition and food safety. Its offerings include the Nutrition Action magazine publication (a science-based health publication), the Chemical Cuisine food additive safety ratings database, the Caffeine Chart database, recipe content including The Healthy Cook's Kitchen cookbook series, The Straight Shot vaccine policy newsletter, and the Food Policy Catalyst partner program supporting community-based food policy advocacy across 15 states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nutrition Action: CSPI's subscription magazine providing honest, unbiased, science-based advice on nutrition and health.

Products and services

• Nutrition Action A monthly subscription magazine providing honest, unbiased, science-based advice on nutrition and health, including food safety, supplements, and healthy eating for individual consumers and subscribers.
• Chemical Cuisine A food additive safety ratings database that rates additives used to preserve foods and affect their taste, texture, or appearance from 'safe' to 'avoid,' helping consumers make informed decisions about food ingredients.
• Caffeine Chart A database compiling caffeine content in foods and beverages, helping consumers understand how much caffeine is present in commonly consumed products.
• The Straight Shot A federal vaccine updates newsletter providing updates on vaccine policy and public health guidance from the federal government.
• The Healthy Cook's Kitchen: Simply Tofu A plant-based cookbook focused on tofu recipes, part of The Healthy Cook series offering healthy, plant-forward recipes for consumers seeking science-based healthy eating guidance.
• Food Policy Catalyst A philanthropic initiative providing financial subgrants and capacity-building support to 21 partner organizations across 15 states focused on community-based food policy advocacy, SNAP, child nutrition programs, sweetened beverage taxes, and food labeling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully advocated for shelving California AB 2034 food additive transparency bill after industry pushback
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Food Policy Catalyst Partner OrganizationscoreOthers · 29 January 2026CSPI announced a new cohort of 21 Food Policy Catalyst partner organizations spanning 15 states as part of its philanthropic initiative focused on community-based food policy advocacy. Partners work on industry accountability, food corporation health impact advocacy, and advancing state and local policies including SNAP, child nutrition programs, sweetened beverage taxes, and food labeling. CSPI provides financial subgrants and capacity-building support through a peer learning cohort and Resource Hub.
• Justice Catalyst LawflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSPI partnered with Justice Catalyst Law and People's Parity Project to submit letters to the FDA and FTC urging enforcement action against Joseph Mercola for alleged false COVID-19 health claims. CSPI policy director Laura MacCleery testified before a Senate Commerce Committee subcommittee on protecting Americans from COVID-19 scams.
• People's Parity ProjectflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSPI collaborated with People's Parity Project and Justice Catalyst Law to urge enforcement against Joseph Mercola for false COVID-19 health claims. The coalition submitted joint letters to FDA and FTC and coordinated advocacy efforts.
• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSPI partnered with PCRM to challenge the Trump administration's new Dietary Guidelines for Americans by releasing alternative 'uncompromised' guidelines and petitioning for withdrawal. PCRM noted that eight of nine authors of the supporting scientific report had financial ties to beef and dairy industries.
• Doctors for AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer advocacy organizations CSPI and Doctors for America urged the FDA to wind down the Commissioner's National Priority Voucher (CNPV) program, expressing concerns about lack of congressional authorization and procedural integrity.
• California Lawmakers (Assemblymember Dawn Addis)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCSPI partnered with California Assemblymember Dawn Addis to sponsor California AB 2034, the Food Additive Safety and Transparency Act, aimed at closing the federal GRAS loophole and mandating chemical safety disclosures.
• New York State LawmakersflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCSPI partnered with New York state lawmakers for the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act (S1239E/A1556E), jointly advocating for closing the GRAS loophole and banning harmful food additives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CSPITV
• Facebookfacebook.com/cspinet
• Instagraminstagram.com/cspi_nutritionaction
• TikToktiktok.com/@cspi_nutritionaction
• Xx.com/cspi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-science-in-the-public-interest

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Science in the Public Interest