Parmesan chicken

90
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Parmesan 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
0030223049920
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
17.25 ONZ (489 g)

What the Data Says About

Parmesan 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, Parmesan 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Parmesan 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 Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Sauce
2
Tomatoes
3
Tomato Sauce
4
Tomato Concentrate
5
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
6
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
7
Red Bell Pepper Powder
8
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
9
Spice
10
Flavoring
11
Water
12
Tomato Paste
13
Onion
14
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
16
Olive Oil
17
Corn Starch
18
Worcestershire Sauce
19
Distilled Vinegar
20
Molasses
21
Corn Syrup
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
Cut Back GRAS
22
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
23
Garlic Powder
24
Spices
25
Tamarind
26
Natural Flavors
27
Organic Basil
28
Black Pepper
29
Thyme
30
Organic Pasta
31
Semolina {Wheat}
32
Durum Wheat Flour
33
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
34
Iron {Ferrous Sulfate}
35
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
36
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
37
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
38
Breaded Chicken Cutlet
39
Chicken
40
Boneless Chicken Breast
41
Or Less Of The Following: Soy Protein Concentrate
42
Sodium Lactate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, WASHING OR SURFACE REMOVAL AGENT
GRAS
43
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
44
Sodium Phosphate
45
Bread Crumbs
46
Bleached Wheat Flour
47
Yeast
48
Soybean Oil
49
Batter
50
Cellulose Gum
51
Vital Wheat Gluten
52
Mozzarella Cheese
53
Low Moisture
54
Part-skim Mozzarella Cheese
55
Pasteurized Milk
56
Cheese Culture
57
Enzymes
58
Potato Starch & Powdered Cellulose {To Prevent Caking}
59
Natamycin {A Mold Inhibitor}
60
Parmesan Cheese
61
And Enzymes
62
Canola Oil
63
Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Full Ingredient List

Sauce (tomatoes, tomato sauce [tomato concentrate, salt, citric acid, red bell pepper powder, dextrose, spice, natural flavoring], water, tomato paste, onion, sugar, garlic, olive oil, modified corn starch, salt, worcestershire sauce [distilled vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, water, salt, caramel color, garlic powder, sugar, spices, tamarind, natural flavors], basil, black pepper, thyme), pasta (water, [semolina {wheat}, durum wheat flour, niacin, iron {ferrous sulfate}, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid]), breaded chicken cutlet (chicken [boneless chicken breast, water, contains 2% or less of the following: soy protein concentrate, sodium lactate, salt, modified corn starch, carrageenan, sodium phosphate], bread crumbs [bleached wheat flour, dextrose, yeast, salt], soybean oil, batter [bleached wheat flour, modified corn starch, salt, cellulose gum, vital wheat gluten]), mozzarella cheese (low moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, potato starch & powdered cellulose {to prevent caking}, natamycin {a natural mold inhibitor}]), parmesan cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, and enzymes), canola oil, extra virgin olive oil.

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