Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tyson Chicken Nuggets ultra-processed?

4 lb Breaded chicken Sold in the United States

Pack of Tyson Chicken Nuggets

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:

  • 17 ingredients
  • No additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed breaded 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

white meat chicken, water, wheat flour, brown sugar, dried garlic, dried onion, yeast, paprika, food starch, natural flavor, oat fiber, salt, spices, wheat starch, white whole wheat flour, yellow corn flour, vegetable oil

As written on the pack

WHITE MEAT CHICKEN, WATER, WHEAT FLOUR, BROWN SUGAR, DRIED GARLIC, DRIED ONION, DRIED YEAST, EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA, FOOD STARCH, NATURAL FLAVOR, OAT FIBER, SALT, SPICES, WHEAT STARCH, WHITE WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, VEGETABLE OIL.

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.

  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
4 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 115 breaded chicken

From least to most processed, this one ranks 45th. 83% of the breaded 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 115 breaded chicken, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0023700060259, last edited 15 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.