Buffalo Style Chicken Poppers

by Trader Joe's

100
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Buffalo Style Chicken Poppers by Trader Joe's receives a safety score of 100/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. None of the ingredients in this product are flagged for safety concerns by FDA or CSPI databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
00612029
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3 pieces (81 g)

What the Data Says About

Buffalo Style Chicken Poppers by Trader Joe's carries a composite safety score of 100/100, 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 did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.

On the NOVA processing scale, Buffalo Style Chicken Poppers 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 Buffalo Style Chicken Poppers
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 100/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 0 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
Wonton Wrapper
2
Wheat Flour
3
Water
4
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
5
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
6
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
7
Grilled Diced White Chicken Meat
8
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
9
Rice Starch
STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Listed
10
Dried Cream Cheese
11
Cultured Pasteurized Milk And Cream
12
Stabilizers
13
Guar Gum
14
Carob Bean Gum
15
Cayenne Pepper Sauce
16
Aged Cayenne Red Peppers
17
Distilled Vinegar
18
Part Skim Fontina Cheese
19
Pasteurized Organic Part Skim Milk
20
Cheese Cultures
21
Microbial Enzyme
22
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
23
Anti-caking Agent
24
Natamycin
FUMIGANT
Safe Approved
25
Mold Inhibitor
26
Celery
27
Green Onions
28
Batter Mix
29
Yellow Corn Flour
30
Leavening
31
Cream Of Tartar
32
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
33
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
34
Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese
35
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
36
Annatto Extract
37
Color
38
Reduced Fat Monterey Jack Cheese
39
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
40
Organic Red Pepper Paste
41
Red Pepper
42
Garlic Powder
43
Black Pepper. Batter Set In Soybean Oil
44
Milk
45
Wheat

Full Ingredient List

Wonton Wrapper (Wheat Flour, Water, Cornstarch, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Grilled Diced White Chicken Meat (Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Water, Rice Starch, Salt), Cream Cheese (Cultured Pasteurized Milk And Cream, Salt, Stabilizers [Guar Gum, Carob Bean Gum]), Water, Cayenne Pepper Sauce (Aged Cayenne Red Peppers [Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Salt], Distilled Vinegar), Part Skim Fontina Cheese (Pasteurized Part Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Microbial Enzyme, Powdered Cellulose [Anti-caking Agent], Natamycin [Mold Inhibitor]), Celery, Green Onions, Batter Mix (Wheat Flour, Cornstarch, Yellow Corn Flour, Salt, Leavening [Cream of Tartar, Sodium Bicarbonate], Xanthan Gum), Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese (Pasteurized Part Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Sea Salt, Microbial Enzyme, Annatto Extract [Color], Powdered Cellulose [Anti-caking Agent]), Reduced Fat Monterey Jack Cheese (Pasteurized Part Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Sea Salt, Microbial Enzyme, Powdered Cellulose [Anti-caking Agent]), Modified Cornstarch, Red Pepper Paste (Distilled Vinegar, Red Pepper, Salt), Garlic Powder, Black Pepper. Batter Set In Soybean Oil. CONTAINS MILK, WHEAT.

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