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Is Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup Creamy Chicken Flavor ultra-processed?

3 oz Instant noodles Sold in the United States

Pack of Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup Creamy Chicken Flavor

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:

  • 48 ingredients
  • 13 additives

Less processed instant noodles

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

enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil, salt, potassium carbonate, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt, sodium carbonate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate), sugar, monosodium glutamate, powdered cream substitute (palm oil, corn syrup solids, sodium caseinate (milk derivative), mono- and DIGLYCERIDES, dipotassium phosphate, sodium aluminosilicate, soy lecithin), maltodextrin, vegetables (garlic, onion, parsley), hydrolyzed corn protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, yeast extract, natural flavors, modified food starch, chicken broth, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, xanthan gum, turmeric, vegetable oil (palm vegetable oil), silicon dioxide

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E340 Potassium phosphates , E340ii Dipotassium phosphate , E415 Xanthan gum , E452 Polyphosphates , E452i Sodium polyphosphate , E452vi Sodium tripolyphosphate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E554 Sodium aluminium silicate , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL, SALT, POTASSIUM CARBONATE, SOY SAUCE (WATER, WHEAT, SOYBEANS, SALT, SODIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE), SUGAR, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, POWDERED CREAM SUBSTITUTE (PALM OIL, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, SODIUM CASEINATE (MILK DERIVATIVE), MONO-AND DIGLYCERIDES, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE, SOY LECITHIN), MALTODEXTRIN, DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES (GARLIC, ONION, PARSLEY), HYDROLYZED CORN PROTEIN, HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, YEAST EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVORS, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CHICKEN BROTH, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, XANTHAN GUM, TURMERIC, VEGETABLE OIL (PALM), SILICON DIOXIDE.

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.

  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • 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.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • 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.
Show 3 more
  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

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.
5 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.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 242 instant noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 209th. 93% of the instant noodles 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 242 instant noodles, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0041789002519, last edited 5 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.