Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's Fiery Chicken Vindaloo ultra-processed?

9.5 oz Meals with chicken Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Fiery Chicken Vindaloo

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:

  • 49 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed meals with chicken

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

fiery chicken vindaloo, chicken breast, onions, water, coconut milk (coconut milk, water, peeled tomatoes (tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, citric acid (acidifier)), distilled white vinegar, spices, canola oil, tomato puree (water, tomato paste, citric acid (acidifier)), garlic, salt, ghee (clarified butter (sweet cream, natural flavor)), tamarind paste (water, tamarind, salt), potato starch, gum arabic, turmeric powder (spice, color), paprika oleoresin (spice), green chilies, bay leaves), turmeric rice (water, basmati rice, canola oil, salt, spices, turmeric powder (spice, color))

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E330 Citric acid , E414 Acacia gum

As written on the pack

FIERY CHICKEN VINDALOO (COOKED CHICKEN BREAST, ONIONS, WATER, COCONUT MILK (COCONUT MILK, WATER], WHOLE PEELED TOMATOES [TOMATOES, TOMATO JUICE, SALT, CITRIC ACID {ACIDIFIER}], DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR, SPICES, CANOLA OIL, TOMATO PUREE [WATER, TOMATO PASTE, CITRIC ACID {ACIDIFIER}], GARLIC, SALT, GHEE [CLARIFIED UNSALTED BUTTER {SWEET CREAM (MILK), NATURAL FLAVOR}], TAMARIND PASTE [WATER, TAMARIND, SALT], POTATO STARCH, GUM ARABIC, TURMERIC POWDER [SPICE AND COLOR], PAPRIKA OLEORESIN [SPICE], GREEN CHILIES, BAY LEAVES), TURMERIC RICE (WATER, BASMATI RICE, CANOLA OIL, SALT, SPICES, TURMERIC POWDER [SPICE AND COLOR])

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
  • 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.
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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 213 meals with chicken

From least to most processed, this one ranks 178th. 79% of the meals with chicken 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 213 meals with chicken, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00594646, last edited 24 August 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.