Loading…
The US and international formulas are not the same— here's exactly what changed and why.
The same company makes both versions — but they use different formulas depending on where the product is sold. In the EU, UK, and Canada, regulations require either banning certain additives outright or mandating warning labels (e.g., "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" for certain synthetic dyes).
Rather than print warning labels, most manufacturers reformulate the product for international markets — using natural colorants like paprika extract, beetroot concentrate, or spirulina instead of petroleum-derived synthetic dyes.
The US FDA has a different standard: it deems additives "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) based on older safety data, while EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) applies stricter precautionary principles and requires manufacturers to prove safety rather than assume it.
Tyson chicken nuggets contain BHA and BHT in the fat components used in the breading and frying process. Both preservatives face far stricter restrictions in the EU due to endocrine disruption and carcinogenicity concerns, and Canada's permitted levels are lower than the US. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's processed meat standards impose additional disclosure requirements for mechanically separated poultry content that US labels don't fully mirror.
Find clean brands without these ingredients — organized by category.