Spicy ranch salad with chicken
Contains 1 flagged ingredient
Spicy ranch salad with chicken 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.
What the Data Says About
Spicy ranch salad with chicken 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, Spicy ranch salad with chicken 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 B 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 | 95/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 1 | CSPI/FDA review |
| NOVA processing group | Group 4 | OpenFoodFacts |
| Nutri-Score | B | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Iceberg lettuce, spicy jalapeno ranch dressing (canola oil, nonfat buttermilk [whey, water, skim milk powder, corn starch, tapioca starch, carrageenan, locust bean gum, culture], water, egg yolk, jalapeno peppers, distilled vinegar, salt, sugar, green onion, apple cider vinegar, spices, dried garlic, xanthan gum, dried onion, skim milk powder blend [dairy whey, sodium caseinate, skim milk powder], dried bell peppers, mustard flour, guar gum, paprika), romaine lettuce, southwest style chicken breast meat with rib meat, smoke flavor added (chicken breast meat with rib meat, water, contains less than 2% or less of the following: sodium lactate, potassium lactate, salt, brown sugar, sodium phosphate, chipotle pepper, garlic powder, autolyzed yeast extract, chili pepper, sugar, onion powder, spices [including cumin], sodium citrate, hydrolyzed soy protein, citric acid, sodium diacetate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, corn syrup solids, spice extractive, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, lime juice solids, mesquite smoke flavor), pepper jack cheese (pasteurized milk, jalapeno peppers, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, potato starch and powdered cellulose [to prevent caking], natamycin [a natural mold inhibitor]), hot cheese curls (cornmeal, vegetable oil [sunflower, safflower, corn, cottonseed, canola and/or rice], whey, salt, corn maltodextrin, onion powder, dextrose, hydrolyzed soy protein, garlic powder, yeast extract, citric acid, reduced lactose whey, lactic acid, beet juice concentrate [for color], cheddar cheese [milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes], calcium lactate, paprika extract, natural flavor, disodium phosphate, blue cheese [milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes], annatto extract [for color], ascorbic acid), black beans (black beans, water, salt, ferrous gluconate), roasted corn, fire roasted poblano peppers.
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.