Pulled chicken in a hickory smoke flavored bbq sauce

by Ball Park, Sara Lee Foods

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Pulled chicken in a hickory smoke flavored bbq sauce by Ball Park, Sara Lee Foods receives a safety score of 95/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient 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
0054500191621
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 POUCH (85 g)

What the Data Says About

Pulled chicken in a hickory smoke flavored bbq sauce by Ball Park, Sara Lee Foods carries a composite safety score of 95/100, 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 1 flagged ingredient 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, Pulled chicken in a hickory smoke flavored bbq sauce 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

Composite safety metrics for Pulled chicken in a hickory smoke flavored bbq sauce
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 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

1
Chicken Thighs
2
Bbq Sauce
3
Water
4
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
5
Tomato Paste
6
Distilled Vinegar
7
Molasses
8
Apple Cider Vinegar
9
Modified Food Starch
10
Worcestershire Sauce
11
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
12
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
13
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
14
Garlic Powder
15
Spices
16
Tamarind
17
Natural Flavor
18
Jalapeno Peppers
19
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
20
Ribeye Flavor Concentrate
21
Natural Beef Juices
22
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
23
Corn Oil
24
Beef Fat
25
Onion Powder
26
Disodium Inosinate And Disodium Guanylate
27
Yeast Extract
28
Natural Hickory Smoke Flavor
29
Sodium Benzoate And Potassium Sorbate
30
Preservatives
31
Chili Pepper
32
Ground Paprika
33
Oleoresin Paprika
34
Or Less Of: Corn Starch
35
Natural Hickory Smoke Flavoring
36
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
37
Sodium Phosphate
38
Flavorings
39
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
40
Chicken Fat With Broth
41
Paprika
42
Sunflower Oil

Full Ingredient List

Chicken thighs, bbq sauce [water, sugar, tomato paste, distilled vinegar, molasses, apple cider vinegar, modified food starch, worcestershire sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, salt, caramel color, garlic powder, sugar, spices, tamarind, natural flavor), jalapeno peppers, sea salt, ribeye flavor concentrate (beef juices, hydrolyzed soy protein, corn oil, beef fat, onion powder, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, yeast extract), caramel color, spices, natural hickory smoke flavor, salt, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservatives), garlic powder, onion powder, chili pepper, ground paprika, oleoresin paprika, natural flavor], water, contains 2% or less of: modified corn starch, salt, sugar, natural hickory smoke flavoring (maltodextrin), sodium phosphate, flavorings, dextrose, chicken fat with broth, paprika, yeast extract, sunflower oil.

Categories

Meats and their products Frozen foods Meats Poultries Frozen poultry

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