Sweet & Sour Chicken

Why Does This Score Ultra-Processed?

In our analysis, Sweet & Sour Chicken scores Ultra-Processed. That classification is shaped by ingredients commonly associated with ultra-processed foods:

• Modified Starches (Modified Food Starch, Of: Modified Corn Starch): Chemical modification is a hallmark of UPF.
• Modified Fats (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean And Cottonseed Oil): Hydrogenation and modification are UPF markers.
• Corn-Based Sweeteners (Nonfat Dry Milk. Blanched In Vegetable Oil. Sweet And Sour Sauce: High Fructose Corn Syrup): HFCS is a hallmark of ultra-processed foods.
• Chemical Preservatives (With Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Benzoate To Preserve Flavor): Synthetic preservatives are UPF indicators.
• Stabilizers & Gums (Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum): Industrial stabilizers common in UPF.

Within Frozen Dinners, this product is more processed than about 37% of the 5,358 products we've analyzed.

Processing classification reflects ingredient and additive analysis, not a judgment of any product's safety, quality, or healthfulness.

What These Ingredients Tell Us

We group Sweet & Sour Chicken's ingredients into ingredient categories and note how each relates to food processing. The notes below describe the category, not this specific product's formulation.

Vegetable OilsProcessing indicator

In this product: Soybean Oil.

Natural oils are minimally processed, hydrogenated oils indicate UPF.

Salt & SodiumProcessing indicator

In this product: Salt.

Basic preservative, but high amounts indicate processing.

Food Bases & AlkalisProcessing indicator

In this product: Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate).

Common in baking, excessive use indicates processing.

Food AcidsProcessing indicator

In this product: Citric Acid, Acetic Acid.

Common in both traditional and industrial foods.

MineralsProcessing indicator

In this product: Calcium Chloride.

Added minerals often compensate for processing.