Is Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Chick'n Nuggets ultra-processed?

417 g Vegetarian nuggets Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Colour
Flavouring
Gluten
Fructose
E171 Titanium dioxide
E415 Xanthan gum
and 2 more

38 ingredients
9 additives

Less processed vegetarian nuggets

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

water, enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vital wheat gluten (ultra-processing marker), canola oil, soy protein isolate, pea protein, tapioca starch (processing marker), and less of 2% (degerminated yellow corn flour), textured wheat protein (wheat gluten (ultra-processing marker), wheat starch (processing marker)), methylcellulose (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), yeast extract, natural flavors (ultra-processing marker), garlic, spices, onion, dried onion, fructose (ultra-processing marker), leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate (ultra-processing marker), sodium bicarbonate), paprika (color), pea protein, citric acid, titanium dioxide (ultra-processing marker) (color (ultra-processing marker)), xanthan gum (ultra-processing marker), lactic acid

Additives: E171 Titanium dioxide , E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid , E415 Xanthan gum , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E461 Methyl cellulose , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

water, enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vital wheat gluten, canola oil, soy protein isolate, pea protein concentrate, tapioca starch, 2% or less of: degerminated yellow corn flour, textured wheat protein (wheat gluten, wheat starch), methylcellulose, salt, yeast extract, natural flavors, garlic powder, spices, onion powder, dried onion, fructose, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), paprika extractives (color), pea protein, citric acid, titanium dioxide (color), xanthan gum, lactic acid, sunflower oil contains: wheat, soy,

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.

E171 Titanium dioxide Titanium dioxide is a white pigment.
E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
E461 Methyl cellulose Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
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.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.

2 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 26 vegetarian nuggets

From least to most processed, this one ranks 25th. 77% of the vegetarian nuggets 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 26 vegetarian nuggets, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0842234002333, last edited 23 February 2026), 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.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.