Is Trident Seafoods The Ultimate Fish Stick ultra-processed?

4 lb (1.81kg) Breaded fish Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Maltodextrin
Modified starch
E627 Disodium guanylate
E631 Disodium inosinate

46 ingredients
6 additives
Nutri-Score A

Less processed breaded fish

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

fish 65% (alaska pollock), batter 35%, breading 35%, whole wheat flour, vegetable oil (processing marker) (soybean, canola), enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrated, riboflavin, folic acid), water, contains 2% and less of (yellow corn meal), ranch seasoning (maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), dehydrated onion, garlic, disodium inosinate (ultra-processing marker), disodium guanylate (ultra-processing marker), natrual flavor (maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker)), modified food starch (ultra-processing marker), buttermilk, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker)), corn starch (processing marker), salt (processing marker), vital wheat gluten, rice starch (processing marker), yeast, leavening (cream of tartar, baking soda), tapioca starch (processing marker), enriched and unrefined malted barley flour (malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)

Additives: E336 Potassium tartrates , E336i Monopotassium tartrate , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

65% fish (alaska pollock), 35% batter & breading (whole wheat flour, vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola), enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrated, riboflavin, folic acid), water, contains 2% or less of: whole grain yellow corn meal, ranch seasoning (maltodextrin, salt, dehydrated onion, dehydrated garlic, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, natrual flavor (maltodextrin), modified food starch, buttermilk, natural flavor), corn starch, salt, vital wheat gluten, rice starch, yeast, leavening (cream of tartar, baking soda), tapioca starch, enriched and unrefined malted barley flour (malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)).

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.

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.
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.

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 163 breaded fish

From least to most processed, this one ranks 148th. 77% of the breaded fish 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 163 breaded fish, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028029196443, last edited 23 August 2025), 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 A (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.