Crispy chicken tender and bacon
by Publix
Contains 2 flagged ingredients
Crispy chicken tender and bacon by Publix receives a safety score of 80/100 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.
What the Data Says About
Crispy chicken tender and bacon by Publix carries a composite safety score of 80/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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, Crispy chicken tender and bacon 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 D 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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 80/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 2 | CSPI/FDA review |
| NOVA processing group | Group 4 | OpenFoodFacts |
| Nutri-Score | D | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Fried chicken tenders: boneless chicken breast meat, breading (wheat flour), seasoning (salt, modified wheat starch, red pepper, cayenne, onion powder, ground celery seed, black pepper, inactive dried yeast, turmeric oleoresin, soy oil, oleoresin paprika, canola oil, natural extractives of paprika, ascorbic acid, natural flavor, rosemary extract), annatto color, corn oil, cottonseed oil, TBHQ, citric acid. Brioche bun: enriched wheat flour, malted flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, water, sugar, refined soybean oil, egg substitute (cornstarch, soy lecithin, mono - and diglycerides, vegetable gum, natural flavor, maltodextrin, dextrose, beta carotene, sodium bicarbonate, yeast, salt, vital wheat gluten, diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono - and diglycerides, enzymes, ascorbic acid, soybean oil, potassium iodate, L-cysteine, glaze (vegetable protein, dextrose, maltodextrin, starch, monocalcium phosphate, calcium propionate, butter substitute, aromatic compounds, isolated soy protein, sodium chloride), enzymes. Yellow American cheese: milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, water, dry cream, sodium phosphates, citric acid, sorbic acid, annatto, oleoresin paprika. Cooked bacon: pork, cured with water, salt, sugar, smoke flavor, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite. Thin dill chips: cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, sodium benzoate, alum, natural flavor, polysorbate 80, yellow 5. Mayo & mustard mix sauce: mayonnaise (soy oil, egg yolks, salt, water, vinegar, sugar, corn syrup, spices, onion powder, garlic powder, calcium disodium EDTA), yellow mustard (vinegar, water, mustard seed, salt, turmeric, paprika). Contains wheat, soy, milk, and eggs. Processed in a facility that also processes fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, and tree nuts.
Categories
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.
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