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

15 oz Meat analogues Sold in the United States

Pack of Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Chick'n Tenders

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:

  • 33 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

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

water, enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), canola oil, vital wheat gluten, soy protein isolate, pea protein, tapioca starch, and less of 2% (textured wheat protein, wheat gluten), wheat starch, degerminated yellow corn flour, methylcellulose, salt, sunflower oil, natural flavor, yeast extract, garlic, spices, onion, dried onion, fructose, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), paprika (color)

Additives: 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), canola oil, vital wheat gluten, soy protein isolate, pea protein concentrate, tapioca starch, 2% or less of: textured wheat protein (wheat gluten, wheat starch), degerminated yellow corn flour, methylcellulose, salt, sunflower oil, natural flavor, yeast extract, garlic powder, spices, onion powder, dried onion, fructose, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), paprika extractives (color), 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.

  • 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.
  • 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.
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.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 512 meat analogues

From least to most processed, this one ranks 357th. 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 512 meat analogues, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0842234002340, last edited 7 June 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.