Is Sweet & Sour Chicken With Rice Safe? Ingredient Analysis
Michelina's
Sweet & Sour Chicken With Rice is a ready meal from Michelina's. It has a Zerotox safety score of 60/100, which means it looks generally acceptable but still includes some ingredients worth reviewing.
The main ingredients worth reviewing are Sugar, Modified Food Starch.
60 / 100
Why score is 60
The composition includes several processed ingredients like modified food starch and maltodextrin, which raise quality concerns. The presence of sodium phosphate and sugar also indicates a less clean profile.
Main concern
Contains multiple processed ingredients such as modified food starch and maltodextrin, which may raise quality concerns.
Why it matters: This ingredient is flagged in our analysis based on regulatory and scientific sources. Check the Ingredients section for details and see Data sources for methodology.
Regulation status: Ingredient safety is assessed from EU/EPA/CIR and similar databases; formulations may vary. Always read the product label.
Pros
- Contains cooked long grain rice and vegetables like bell peppers and carrots, contributing to a balanced meal.
- Includes chicken as a primary protein source, providing essential nutrients.
Concerns
- Contains multiple processed ingredients such as modified food starch and maltodextrin, which may raise quality concerns.
- Presence of added sugars and sodium phosphate indicates a less clean composition.
Who should avoid this product?
This ready meal may not be the best fit for:
- people with sensitive skin or fragrance sensitivity
- people avoiding animal-derived ingredients
Ingredients breakdown
Each ingredient below is explained in the context of this ready meal so the page answers more than a simple label list.
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Is Cooked Long Grain Rice safe in this ready meal?
Good
Cooked Long Grain Rice is used here as base. Cooked long grain rice serves as the primary carbohydrate source, providing energy and a neutral base for the dish.
Role in formula: base
Original: Cooked long grain rice
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Is Water safe in this ready meal?
Good
Water is used here as solvent. Water is essential for cooking and hydration, contributing to the overall moisture content of the meal.
Role in formula: solvent
Original: water
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Is Cooked White Chicken safe in this ready meal?
Good
Cooked White Chicken is used here as base. Cooked white chicken provides a significant protein source, essential for muscle repair and overall health.
Role in formula: base
Original: cooked white chicken (chicken breast with rib meat, water, soy protein isolate, 2% or less of salt, sodium phosphate, modified food starch, maltodextrin and natural flavor)
-
Is Brown Sugar safe in this ready meal?
Medium
Brown Sugar is used here as sweetener. Brown sugar adds sweetness to the dish but is a refined sugar, raising concerns about excessive sugar intake.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: brown sugar
-
Is Bell Peppers safe in this ready meal?
Good
Bell Peppers is used here as natural_extract. Bell peppers provide vitamins and minerals, enhancing the nutritional profile of the meal.
Role in formula: natural_extract
Original: bell peppers (red and green)
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Is Carrots safe in this ready meal?
Good
Carrots is used here as natural_extract. Carrots are a source of beta-carotene and fiber, contributing to the overall health benefits of the dish.
Role in formula: natural_extract
Original: carrots
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Is Pineapple safe in this ready meal?
Good
Pineapple is used here as natural_extract. Pineapple adds natural sweetness and flavor, along with vitamins and enzymes beneficial for digestion.
Role in formula: natural_extract
Original: pineapple
-
Is Rice Wine Vinegar safe in this ready meal?
Medium
Rice Wine Vinegar is used here as acidulant. Rice wine vinegar adds acidity and flavor but is a processed ingredient that may raise quality concerns.
Role in formula: acidulant
Original: less than 2 % of rice wine vinegar (water, rice)
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Is Sugar safe in this ready meal?
Bad
Sugar is used here as sweetener. Added sugar increases sweetness but contributes to excessive sugar intake, raising health concerns.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: sugar
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Is Chicken Base safe in this ready meal?
Medium
Chicken Base is used here as flavor. Chicken base enhances flavor but contains multiple additives, which may raise quality concerns.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: chicken base (chicken meat and concentrated chicken stock, salt, sugar, dried whey, rendered chicken fat, corn syrup solids, yeast extract, natural flavor, citric acid, extractives of turmeric)
-
Is Soy Sauce safe in this ready meal?
Medium
Soy Sauce is used here as flavor. Soy sauce adds umami flavor but contains sodium and is a processed ingredient, raising quality concerns.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt, alcohol, vinegar and lactic acid)
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Is Modified Food Starch safe in this ready meal?
Bad
Modified Food Starch is used here as thickener. Modified food starch is a processed thickener that may raise concerns about its quality and safety.
Role in formula: thickener
Original: modified food starch
-
Is Canola Oil safe in this ready meal?
Medium
Canola Oil is used here as oil_fat. Canola oil is a common cooking oil but is often refined, which may raise concerns about processing.
Role in formula: oil_fat
Original: canola oil
-
Is Tomato Paste safe in this ready meal?
Good
Tomato Paste is used here as natural_extract. Tomato paste adds flavor and nutrients, including vitamins and antioxidants beneficial for health.
Role in formula: natural_extract
Original: tomato paste
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Is Garlic safe in this ready meal?
Good
Garlic is used here as natural_extract. Garlic is known for its flavor and potential health benefits, contributing positively to the dish's profile.
Role in formula: natural_extract
Original: garlic (with water and citric acid)
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Is Granulated Garlic safe in this ready meal?
Good
Granulated Garlic is used here as natural_extract. Granulated garlic enhances flavor and provides potential health benefits, supporting the dish's quality.
Role in formula: natural_extract
Original: granulated garlic
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Is Salt safe in this ready meal?
Medium
Salt is used here as flavor. Salt enhances flavor but excessive sodium intake is a health concern, impacting the overall quality.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: salt
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Is Chicken Broth Flavor safe in this ready meal?
Medium
Chicken Broth Flavor is used here as flavor. Chicken broth flavor adds depth but may contain additives, raising concerns about quality and safety.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: chicken broth flavor (chicken broth, salt, chicken powder and flavors)
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Is Extractives Of Paprika safe in this ready meal?
Medium
Extractives Of Paprika is used here as colorant. Extractives of paprika provide color and flavor but are processed, which may raise quality concerns.
Role in formula: colorant
Original: extractives of paprika
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Is Natural Flavors safe in this ready meal?
Medium
Natural Flavors is used here as flavor. Natural flavors enhance taste but are often vague in composition, raising concerns about transparency.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: natural flavors
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Is Ginger safe in this ready meal?
Good
Ginger is used here as natural_extract. Ginger adds flavor and potential health benefits, contributing positively to the dish's overall profile.
Role in formula: natural_extract
Original: ginger
How we score
Our safety scores and ingredient breakdowns are based on regulatory and scientific sources. See Data sources & methodology and How Zerotox works for full details.
Product info
Product ID: 3408576
More from this brand: Michelina's products in Zerotox
Similar products: ready_meal in Zerotox database
Allergens detected: wheat
Report / complain: You may report errors or complain about this product or its formulation to hello [at] zeroto.app . Published for transparency.