Is Maruchan Chicken Ramen ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Maltodextrin
- E452 Polyphosphates
- E621 Monosodium glutamate
- E627 Disodium guanylate
- E631 Disodium inosinate
- 46 ingredients
- 9 additives
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Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, nacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (processing marker) (CONTAINS ONE and MORE OF THE FOLLOWING (canola cottonseed), palm), preserved by tbhq, salt dehydrated vegetables (carrot, corn, green peas, garlic, onion, celery stalk, chive), contains less than 2% of (maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker)), monosodium glutamate (ultra-processing marker), sugar (processing marker), hydrolyzed corn protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, chicken fat potassium carbonate, powdered cooked chicken spices, celery seed, yeast extract, soy sauce (processing marker) (wheat, soybeans, salt (processing marker)), sodium carbonate, sodium hexametaphosphate (ultra-processing marker), turmeric, sodium tripolyphosphate (ultra-processing marker), disodium guanylate (ultra-processing marker), disodium inosinate (ultra-processing marker), monosodium phosphate, lactose silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent (processing marker)), ingredients, MANUFACTURED IN A FACILITY THAT ALSO PROCESSES CRUSTACEAN SHELLFISH and SESAME PRODUCTS, contains a bioengineered food ingredient
Additives: E319 Tertiary-butylhydroquinone (tbhq) , E339 Sodium phosphates , E339i Monosodium phosphate , E452 Polyphosphates , E452i Sodium polyphosphate , E452vi Sodium tripolyphosphate , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate
As written on the pack
ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: CANOLA COTTONSEED, PALM) PRESERVED BY TBHQ, SALT DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES (CARROT, CORN, GREEN PEAS, GARLIC, ONION, CELERY STALK, CHIVE), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: MALTODEXTRIN, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, SUGAR, HYDROLYZED CORN PROTEIN, HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, CHICKEN FAT POTASSIUM CARBONATE, POWDERED COOKED CHICKEN SPICES (CELERY SEED, YEAST EXTRACT, DEHYDRATED SOY SAUCE (WHEAT, SOYBEANS, SALT), SODIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, TURMERIC, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, MONOSODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTOSE SILICON DIOXIDE (ANTI-CAKING AGENT). CONTAINS WHEAT, SOY, AND MILK INGREDIENTS. MANUFACTURED IN A FACILITY THAT ALSO PROCESSES CRUSTACEAN SHELLFISH AND SESAME PRODUCTS. CONTAINS A BIOENGINEERED FOOD INGREDIENT.
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.
- E452 Polyphosphates 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.
- E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
- E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
- E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
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.
- Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
6 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.
- Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
- Anti-caking agent Anti-caking agents are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
- Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.
Among 242 instant noodles
From least to most processed, this one ranks 106th. 93% of the instant noodles here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0041789001215, last edited 31 July 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.