Original Fully Cooked Breaded Fried Chicken Pieces, Original, Fried Chicken

Why Does This Score Ultra-Processed?

In our analysis, Original Fully Cooked Breaded Fried Chicken Pieces, Original, Fried Chicken scores Ultra-Processed. That classification is shaped by ingredients commonly associated with ultra-processed foods:

• Modified Starches (Modified Food Starch): Chemical modification is a hallmark of UPF.
• Other Additives (Sodium Phosphates, Propylene Glycol): Miscellaneous additives generally indicate processing.
• Flavor Enhancers (Disodium Inosinate And Disodium Guanylate): Industrial flavor enhancement common in UPF.
• Stabilizers & Gums (Methylcellulose): Industrial stabilizers common in UPF.
• Natural Flavors (Natural Flavors (Including Celery Seed)): Despite being natural, these are highly processed extracts.

Within Prepared Entrees, this product is more processed than about 53% of the 6,999 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 Original Fully Cooked Breaded Fried Chicken Pieces, Original, Fried 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.

Salt & SodiumProcessing indicator

In this product: Salt.

Basic preservative, but high amounts indicate processing.

Vegetable OilsProcessing indicator

In this product: Canola Oil And Palm Oil, Soybean Oil, Fry In Vegetable Oil (Soybean Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil).

Natural oils are minimally processed, hydrogenated oils indicate UPF.

Food Bases & AlkalisProcessing indicator

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

Common in baking, excessive use indicates processing.