Zatarain's, sausage & chicken gumbo
by Zatarain's
Scores 75/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 3 flagged ingredients identified.
The verdict
Zatarain's, sausage & chicken gumbo by Zatarain's scores 75/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 72 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 3 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.
- 75/100
- Caution safety score
- 3
- flagged ingredients of 72 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 Zatarain's, sausage & chicken gumbo
Zatarain's, sausage & chicken gumbo by Zatarain's carries a composite safety score of 75/100, 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 3 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, Zatarain's, sausage & chicken gumbo 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 | 75/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 3 | 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 25,915 products we've scored in the Frozen foods category, the average safety score is 93.3/100. Zatarain's, sausage & chicken gumbo scores 18.3 points below that category average (75/100 vs. 93.3/100), 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
Water, cooked long grain rice, rotisserie seasoned chicken tenders (chicken tenders, water, rotisserie seasoning [salt, sugar, {including red pepper and paprika}, soy protein isolate, modified potato starch, sodium phosphate, corn starch, carrageenan, extractives of oregano, soy lecithin, extractives of paprika, garlic, natural flavor]), smoked andouille sausage (pork, beef, corn syrup solids, water, sodium lactate and sodium diacetate, modified corn starch, salt, spices, sodium phosphate, corn maltodextrin, paprika, natural flavor, garlic, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite), okra, onions, bell peppers (green and red), enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), margarine (liquid and hydrogenated soybean oil, water, salt, vegetable mono and diglycerides, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavor, bha & bht added to protect flavor, vitamin a palmitate and vitamin d3 added), chicken base (roasted chicken meat and natural juices, chicken fat, corn syrup, yeast extract, whey [milk], natural flavor, wine, and turmeric), granulated garlic, yeast extract, modified corn starch, sprouted wheat flour, ham-type flavor (soy sauce [hydrolyzed soy protein, corn syrup solids, salt], yeast extract, maltodextrin [from corn], natural flavors [including smoke], soybean oil, spices), soybean oil, canola oil, sea salt, spices, caramel color, chili powder (chili pepper, spices, salt, garlic powder) parsley flakes.
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.