Buffalo Style Chicken Salad
Scores 80/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 2 flagged ingredients identified.
The verdict
Buffalo Style Chicken Salad by Fresh express scores 80/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 90 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 2 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.
- 80/100
- Caution safety score
- 2
- flagged ingredients of 90 analyzed
- Group 4
- Ultra-processed
- C
- Nutri-Score nutrition grade
Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.
What the Data Says About Buffalo Style Chicken Salad
Buffalo Style Chicken Salad by Fresh express 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.
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, Buffalo Style Chicken Salad 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
| 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 | C | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
How It Compares to Its Category
Among the 94,909 products we've scored in the Snacks category, the average safety score is 87.4/100. Buffalo Style Chicken Salad scores 7.4 points below that category average (80/100 vs. 87.4/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Vegetable Mix: Baby Green Leaf Lettuce, Baby Green Oak Lettuce, Baby Green Tango Lettuce, Baby Red Leaf Lettuce, Baby Red Oak Lettuce, Baby Lollo Rossa Lettuce, Baby Mizuna, Baby Arugula, Baby Tatsoi, Frisee, Endive, Baby Green Chard, Baby Red Chard, Bacon Buffalo Style Ranch Dressing: Water, Canola Oil, Pepper Sauce (Cayenne Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Salt, Dried Garlic), Non Fat Buttermilk (Whey, Water, Skim Milk Powder, Corn Starch, Tapioca Starch, Carrageenan, Locust Bean Gum, Culture), Distilled Vinegar, Maltodextrin, Less Than 2% Of Bacon (Cured With Water, Salt, Sugar, Sodium Tripolyphosphate. Sodium Ascorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Hickory Smoke Flavor), Dried Garlic, Dried Onion, Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Sugar, Buttermilk Flavor (Whey, Butterfat, Buttermilk, Lactic Acid), Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Xanthan Gum, Paprika Extract (Color), Spices, Mustard Flour, Dried Red Pepper, Natural Flavors, Chicken: Chicken Breast Meat With Rib Meat, Water, Seasoning (Hot Sauce Powder [(Cayenne Red Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Garlic Powder), Maltodextrin, Natural Flavor], Salt, Vinegar Powder [Maltodextrin, White Distilled Vinegar, Modified Food Starch], Natural Butter Flavor, Paprika, Spice, Garlic Powder), Potato Starch, Vinegar, Cheese: Blue Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes, Penicillium Roqueforti), Powdered Cellulose (To Prevent Caking), Multi-Grain Crackers: Rice Flour, Whole Grain Yellow Cornmeal, Potato Starch, Safflower Oil, Rice Bran, Cane Sugar, Sesame Seeds, Flax Seeds, Millet, Sea Salt, Crispy Red Bell Peppers: Red Bell Peppers, Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sunflower, Safflower And/Or Canola Oil, Salt)
Categories
Data Sources
Data as of May 2026. 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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Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.