Orange chicken

90
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Orange chicken receives a safety score of 90/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 ingredients that have been flagged for potential safety concerns by regulatory or consumer advocacy databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0021130108459
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 cup (195 g)

What the Data Says About

Orange chicken carries a composite safety score of 90/100, which we classify as "Safe" on our four-tier shelf-label framework. The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Our scan identified 2 flagged ingredients in this product — components that at least one official source has classified as requiring caution, targeted avoidance, or further evaluation. Flagged ingredients are the items most likely to surface in FDA inspection findings, state-level ingredient bans, or outbreak-related recall notices, so the per-ingredient breakdown below is the most useful lens for anyone screening this product for a specific dietary concern.

On the NOVA processing scale, Orange chicken is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone. The Nutri-Score grade of C reflects nutritional balance — calories, saturated fat, sugar, sodium versus fiber, protein, and produce content — which again is a distinct dimension from additive safety and worth weighing alongside the scores above.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Orange chicken
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 90/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score C OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Fried Rice With Carrots & Edamame
2
Cooked White Rice
3
Carrots
4
Yellow Carrots
5
Edamame
6
Soybeans
7
Scrambled Egg White Product
8
Egg Whites
9
Corn Starch
10
Nonfat Milk
11
Whey Protein Isolate
12
Soybean Oil
13
Carrageenan
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Caution GRAS
14
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
Egg Flavor
16
Guar Gum
17
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
18
Annatto {Color}
19
Water
20
Green Onions
21
Dehydrated Soy Sauce
22
Wheat
23
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
24
Sodium Benzoate {Preservative}
25
Ginger Puree
26
Organic Ginger
27
Phosphoric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
Cut Back GRAS
28
Sesame Oil
29
Chicken Flavor
30
Yeast Extract
31
Chicken Powder
32
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
33
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
34
Soy Sauce Solids {Soybeans
35
Salt}
36
Tapioca Maltodextrin
37
Chicken Fat
38
Soy Flour
39
Torula yeast
Flavoring
Safe
40
Natural Flavor
41
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
42
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS
43
Grill Flavor {From Vegetable Oil}
44
Corn Syrup Solids
45
Disodium Phosphate
46
Calcium Lactate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
47
Natural Smoke Flavor
48
Oriental Spice Base
49
Sauteed Ginger
50
Chili Garlic Sauce {Chili Peppers
51
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
52
Rice Vinegar
53
Acetic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
54
Modified Food Starch}
55
Canola Oil
56
Corn Starch
57
Spice
58
Flavoring
59
Brown Sugar
60
Garlic Powder
61
Vinegar
62
Natural Butter Flavor
63
Butter
64
Buttermilk Powder
65
Natural Flavor
66
Modified Food Starch
67
Spices
68
Cooked Battered White Meat Chicken
69
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast With Rib Meat
70
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour
71
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
72
Reduced Iron
73
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
74
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
75
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
76
Batter
77
Yellow Corn Flour
78
Bleached Wheat Flour
79
Leavening {Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
80
Sodium Bicarbonate}
81
And Eggs
82
Egg
83
Cayenne Pepper
84
Fried In Soybean Oil
85
Orange Sauce
86
Orange Juice Concentrate
87
Apple Concentrate
88
Lemon Juice
89
Lemon Juice Concentrate
90
Hoisin Sauce
91
Soy Paste {Water
92
Soybean
93
Wheat Flour}
94
Salted Garlic {Garlic
95
Salted Chili {Chili Peppers
96
Crushed Chili Peppers

Full Ingredient List

Fried rice with carrots & edamame (cooked white rice, carrots, yellow carrots, edamame [soybeans], scrambled egg white product [egg whites, modified corn starch, nonfat milk, whey protein isolate, soybean oil, carrageenan, salt, natural egg flavor, guar gum, xanthan gum, annatto {color}], water, green onions, soy sauce [water, wheat, soybeans, salt, lactic acid, sodium benzoate {preservative}], ginger puree [ginger, water, phosphoric acid], sesame oil, soybean oil, chicken flavor [yeast extract, salt, chicken powder, maltodextrin, sugar, soy sauce solids {soybeans, wheat, salt}, tapioca maltodextrin, chicken fat, soy flour, torula yeast, flavor, caramel color, citric acid, grill flavor {from vegetable oil}, modified corn starch, corn syrup solids, disodium phosphate, lactic acid, calcium lactate, smoke flavor], oriental spice base [sauteed ginger, chili garlic sauce {chili peppers, garlic, water, salt, sugar, rice vinegar, acetic acid, modified food starch}, maltodextrin, sesame oil, salt, sugar, canola oil, soybeans, water, corn starch, spice, wheat, natural flavoring, brown sugar, garlic powder, caramel color, vinegar, yeast extract], modified corn starch, yeast extract [yeast extract, salt], salt, butter flavor [dehydrated butter, buttermilk powder, natural flavor, maltodextrin, modified food starch], spices), cooked battered white meat chicken (boneless skinless chicken breast with rib meat, corn starch, water, egg whites, enriched bleached wheat flour [niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], salt, batter [yellow corn flour, bleached wheat flour, salt, leavening {sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate}, guar gum, nonfat milk, spices, and eggs], soybean oil, egg, spice, caramel color, cayenne pepper, fried in soybean oil), orange sauce (water, sugar, soy sauce [water, wheat, soybeans, salt, lactic acid, sodium benzoate {preservative}], orange juice concentrate, apple concentrate, modified corn starch, lemon juice [water, lemon juice concentrate], ginger puree [ginger, water, phosphoric acid], hoisin sauce [sugar, soy paste {water, soybean, salt, wheat flour}, rice vinegar, salted garlic {garlic, salt}, sesame oil, salted chili {chili peppers, water, salt}, spices], crushed chili peppers).

Categories

Frozen foods

Data Sources

Data as of 2025. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.

This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.

Related

Data sourced from official FDA, USDA, and CDC food-safety databases. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial