Buldak HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen

by Samyang

100
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Buldak HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen by Samyang 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
8801073141896
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 serving (140 g)

What the Data Says About

Buldak HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen by Samyang 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, Buldak HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Buldak HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen
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 Not available OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Noodle
2
: Wheat Flour
3
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
4
Palm Oil
5
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
6
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
7
Soybean Oil
8
Water
9
Acidity Regulator
10
Potassium Carbonate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
11
E300
12
Sodium Carbonate
ANTIOXIDANT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
13
E300
14
Sodium Phosphate Dibasic
15
E300
16
Sodium Polyphosphate
17
E300
18
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS
19
E300
20
Thickener
21
Guar Gum
22
E300
23
Emulsifier
24
Lecithin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
25
E300
26
Colour
27
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
28
E300
29
Soup
30
: Water
31
Artificial Chicken Flavor Powder
32
White Sugar
33
Dehydrated Soy Sauce
34
Red Pepper Powder
35
Onion Powder
36
Chilli Extract
37
Garlic Powder
38
Yeast Extract Powder
39
Black Pepper Powder
40
Curry Powder
41
Flake
42
: Roast Sesame
43
Roasted Laver

Full Ingredient List

noodle(76,7%): wheat flour(52%), tapioca starch(12%), palm oil(11%), wheat gluten, salt, soybean oil, water, acidity regulator[potassium carbonate(e501), sodium carbonate(e500), sodium phosphate dibasic(e339), sodium polyphosphate(e452), citric acid(e330)], thickener [guar gum(e412)], emulsifier[lecithin(e322)], colour[riboflavin(e101)], soup(22,7%): water, artificial chicken flavor powder, white sugar, soy sauce, red pepper powder, soybean oil , onion powder, chilli extract, salt, garlic powder, tapioca starch, yeast extract powder, black pepper powder, curry powder, flake(0,6%): roast sesame, roasted laver

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Cereals and potatoes Cereals and their products Dried products Pastas Dried products to be rehydrated Noodles Instant noodles

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