Tender Strips Crunchy Coating Fried Clams, Tender

Why Does This Score Highly Processed?

In our analysis, Tender Strips Crunchy Coating Fried Clams, Tender scores Highly Processed. That classification is shaped by ingredients commonly associated with ultra-processed foods:

• Modified Starches (Modified Corn Starch): Chemical modification is a hallmark of UPF.
• Stabilizers & Gums (Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methylcellulose): Industrial stabilizers common in UPF.
• Natural Flavors (Natural Flavoring): Despite being natural, these are highly processed extracts.

Within Seafood, this product is more processed than about 80% of the 7,747 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 Tender Strips Crunchy Coating Fried Clams, Tender'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: Vegetable Oil (Canola And/Or Soybean), Palm Oil.

Natural oils are minimally processed, hydrogenated oils indicate UPF.

Sugars & Natural SweetenersProcessing indicator

In this product: Less Than 2% Of: Sugar, Maltodextrin.

Natural sugars acceptable in moderation, excessive amounts indicate UPF.

Salt & SodiumProcessing indicator

In this product: Salt.

Basic preservative, but high amounts indicate processing.

Food Bases & AlkalisProcessing indicator

In this product: Baking Powder (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate).

Common in baking, excessive use indicates processing.

Industrial FermentationProcessing indicator

In this product: Yeast.

Industrial fermentation for additive production.