Textured Wheat Protein

Textured Wheat Protein carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 88 indexed US food products.

Safety score 60.0%

3/5 from FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine

How common is vs other flagged additives?

Number of indexed products containing each of the most common flagged additives — Textured Wheat Protein highlighted.

Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Caramel Coloring22612Red 4021595Yellow 518987Carrageenan17853Blue 116643Yellow 613560Sucralose10490Textured Wheat Protein88
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Safety Score
3/5

Safety Assessment

Textured Wheat Protein has a moderate safety profile (3/5). While approved for use, some studies or consumer advocacy groups have raised questions about certain aspects of this ingredient. Consumers who prefer caution may wish to limit intake.

What the Data Says About

Textured Wheat Protein currently appears in 88 products across the OpenFoodFacts catalog we index, which gives a concrete measure of its footprint on US grocery shelves. Our internal safety score of 3/5 synthesizes FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Chemical Cuisine classification. These two frameworks capture different questions: regulators ask whether exposure at typical intake is acceptable, while consumer-advocacy groups examine cumulative dietary load and vulnerable-population risk.

Textured Wheat Protein serves one or more technical functions in food manufacturing — stabilization, flavor, preservation, or structural role — which explains its presence across multiple product categories in our database. Inspection and outbreak records frequently trace back to control failures around functional additives, whether through batch contamination, undisclosed substitutions, or labeling mismatches that trigger recall classifications by the FDA.

No specific concern flags are attached to Textured Wheat Protein in our current data snapshot beyond the regulatory and CSPI classifications above. That does not rule out individual sensitivity reactions, and anyone managing allergies, elimination diets, or chronic conditions should verify with a qualified healthcare professional before relying on population-level ratings.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Regulatory and safety classifications for Textured Wheat Protein
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Not listed 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 88 products OpenFoodFacts

FDA SAFFA database, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings, OpenFoodFacts product index. See methodology.

Products Containing

Showing 50 of 88 products

365 everyday value, breaded chickenless nuggets
365 Everyday Value, Whole Foods Market Inc.
100/100
365 everyday value, breaded chickenless patties
365 Everyday Value, Whole Foods Market Inc.
100/100
365 everyday value, meatless meatballs
365 Everyday Value, Whole Foods Market Inc.
100/100
Barbeque Beef Brisket Sandwiches
Raybern's
80/100
Barbeque pulled pork
Ezy Taste
95/100
Beef & Bean Red Chili Burritos
Las Campanas
95/100
Beef & cheese mini tacos
Unknown
95/100
Beef Taquitos
Great Value
95/100
Buffalo style chicken sandwiches, spicy
Unknown
95/100
Buffalo style stuffed shrimp with crabmeat
Unknown
100/100
Cajun-Spiced Crawfish Cakes
Chrf Jenn
95/100
Cajun-Spiced Crawfish Cakes
Chef Jenn
95/100
Chicken & Cheese Flautas
Don Miguel
100/100
Chicken pot pie sandwiches
Unknown
100/100
Chicken Salad
Giant Eagle
100/100
Chickenless crispy tenders
trader-joe-s
100/100
Crab Cakes
Shaw Family
100/100
Crab Cakes, Handmade
Handy
95/100
Crazy Crispy Chick’n Breast package certified vegan
Unknown
100/100
Creole-Spiced Crab Cakes
Chef Jenn
95/100
Crispy and crunchy taquitos
Unknown
95/100
Crispy and crunchy taquitos, crispy and crunchy
Unknown
95/100
Crispy chik’n
Unknown
100/100
Crispy chik’n patties
Unknown
100/100
Deviled crab
Unknown
100/100
Dino
Unknown
100/100
Don't Have a Cow
Wegmans
100/100
Gardein, chick'n patties
Gardein,Garden Protein International Inc
100/100
Garden ground
The Hain Celestial Group Inc.
100/100
Gourmet burgers
Quorn,Quorn Foods Inc
100/100
Gourmet restaurant style spicy beef enchiladas, restaurant style spicy beef
Unknown
95/100
Heritage health food, vegefish fillets, breaded veggie fish fillets patties
Heritage Health Food
100/100
Icelandic, crab cakes
Icelandic
95/100
Italian sandwich
Happy Hoagie
100/100
Jin Ramen
Ottogi
100/100
Maryland Style Crab Cakes
Arctic Shores Seafood Company
100/100
Maryland style crab cakes
Wick's
95/100
Meat free chickenless patties
Earth Grown
100/100
Meatballs
Quorn
100/100
Meatless & Soy-Free Quarter Pound Burgers
Quorn
100/100
Meatless chicken style nuggets, chicken style
Unknown
100/100
Meatless chik'n nuggets
Unknown
100/100
Meatless crispy tenders
Simple Truth
100/100
Meatless Select, Vegetarian Five Bean Chili
Atlantic Natural Foods Llc
100/100
Meatless soy protein chik n patties
Boca
100/100
Mini chimichangas
Unknown
95/100
Mini Tacos
Chi-Chi's
100/100
Morningstar Farms Meal Solutions Hickory Bbq Riblet 10oz
Morningstar farms
95/100
Nuggs
Unknown
100/100
Original chick’n veggie nuggets
Boca
100/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Textured Wheat Protein safe to eat?

Textured Wheat Protein has a safety score of 3/5. Always check with a healthcare provider if you have specific dietary concerns.

What products contain Textured Wheat Protein?

Textured Wheat Protein is found in 88 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does Textured Wheat Protein do in food?

Textured Wheat Protein serves various technical functions in food manufacturing and processing.

Where does this ingredient safety data come from?

Safety data comes from the FDA's SAFFA (Substances Added to Food) database, CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) ratings, and the OpenFoodFacts product database. Product counts reflect items cataloged in OpenFoodFacts.