Fryin' Magic Seasoned Coating Mix — DUMP

Munch or Dump rates Fryin' Magic Seasoned Coating Mix by Fryin' Magic DUMP — score 17/90.

'Family made and family loved since 1903' — and somewhere along those 120 years the family adopted MSG, two yellow dyes, an aluminum anti-caking agent, and a phosphate salt. The dyes exist purely to make your chicken look deep-fried golden before it ever hits the pan. The 'seasoned' in Seasoned Coating Mix is mostly a chemistry set.

Why this verdict

• Two artificial colors (Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake) — purely cosmetic, linked to hyperactivity concerns in children
• MSG doing the heavy lifting behind the word 'seasoned'
• Tetrasodium pyrophosphate + sodium aluminosilicate — industrial phosphate and aluminum-based anti-caking agents
• Enriched bleached flour base: stripped, bleached, then re-vitamined
• Carrageenan and dextrose rounding out a 15-ingredient list for what is essentially seasoned flour

Ingredients (15)

• ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (caution) — Chemically bleached refined flour — stripped grain, fast starch.
• Enriched degermed yellow corn meal (moderate) — Degermed corn has the nutrient-rich germ removed, leaving mostly refined starch.
• WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR (safe) — Adds a little fiber and whole-grain content.
• Dextrose (caution) — Second added sweetener.
• Salt (moderate) — Used in moderation, might exceed necessary amount.
• Lecithinated soy flour (safe) — Processed soy flour used as a minor texture/binding agent.
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) (caution) — Flavor enhancer in the Doritos and Cheetos bags — safe by regulation, but it exists to make refined starch taste irresistible.
• Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate (caution) — Phosphate binder holding the process American cheese together.
• Carrageenan (moderate) — Seaweed-derived stabilizer; some people report digestive sensitivity.
• Sodium aluminosilicate (moderate) — Anti-caking agent containing aluminum compounds.
• YELLOW 5 LAKE (concerning) — Tartrazine; associated with hyperactivity and allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
• Yellow 6 Lake (concerning) — Synthetic azo dye flagged for behavioral effects in children.
• Paprika (safe) — Natural color and flavor from ground peppers.
• Spices and dehydrated onion (safe) — Real seasoning components -- the only genuinely whole-food flavor here.
• Baking Soda (safe) — A basic leavening agent. Completely standard.