Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Gardein plant-based chick'n strips ultra-processed?

Meat analogues Sold in the United States

Pack of Gardein plant-based chick'n strips

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 28 ingredients
  • No additives
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed meat analogues

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Gardein (water), soy protein isolate, vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed, canola oil, modified vegetable gum, ancient grain flour (kamut khorasan wheat, amaranth, millet, quinoa), yeast extract, potato starch, sea salt, cane sugar, natural flavors (sources), color added, onion, vinegar, garlic, pea protein, spices, carrot fiber, beetroot fiber, paprika, turmeric

As written on the pack

Gardein: water, soy protein isolate*, vital wheat gluten*, expeller pressed/canola oil, modified vegetable gum, organic ancient grain flour (kamut khorasan wheat, amaranth, millet, quinoa), yeast extract, potato starch, sea salt, organic cane sugar, natural flavors (from plant sources), color added, onion powder, vinegar, garlic powder, pea protein, spices, carrot fiber, beetroot fiber, extractives of paprika and turmeric.

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
3 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 511 meat analogues

From least to most processed, this one ranks 174th. 80% of the meat analogues here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 511 meat analogues, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0842234001626, last edited 13 November 2025), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of A (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.