Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's Chicken Tikka Masala ultra-processed?

8.5 oz (241g) Chicken tikka masala Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Chicken Tikka Masala

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:

  • 43 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed chicken tikka masala

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

chicken tikka (chicken breast), tomatoes (peeled tomatoes, tomato juice, salt), onions, water, canola oil, yogurt (pasteurized nonfat milk, cream), cream, nonfat dry milk, spices, garlic, cashews, lemon juice (water, concentrated lemon juice), salt, butter, sugar, potato starch, syrup blend (rice syrup, grape juice), tapioca starch, oleoresin of paprika, clarified butter (ghee), fenugreek leaves, cilantro, turmeric, vinegar, mango, cumin rice (water), basmati rice, canola oil, clarified butter (ghee), cumin seeds

Additives: E160c Paprika extract

As written on the pack

CHICKEN TIKKA: CHICKEN BREAST, TOMATOES (WHOLE PEELED TOMATOES, TOMATO JUICE, SALT), ONIONS, WATER, CANOLA OIL, YOGURT (CULTURED PASTEURIZED NONFAT MILK, CREAM), CREAM, NONFAT DRY MILK, SPICES, GARLIC, CASHEWS, LEMON JUICE (WATER, CONCENTRATED LEMON JUICE), SALT, BUTTER, SUGAR, POTATO STARCH, SYRUP BLEND (RICE SYRUP, GRAPE JUICE), TAPIOCA STARCH, OLEORESIN OF PAPRIKA, CLARIFIED BUTTER (GHEE), FENUGREEK LEAVES, CILANTRO, TURMERIC, VINEGAR, MANGO POWDER. CUMIN RICE: WATER, BASMATI RICE, CANOLA OIL, CLARIFIED BUTTER (GHEE), CUMIN SEEDS. CONTAINS MILK, CASHEWS

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.

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.
  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • 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.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 19 chicken tikka masala

From least to most processed, this one ranks 4th. 89% of the chicken tikka masala 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 19 chicken tikka masala, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00991421, last edited 14 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.