What Ingredients Are Forbidden in CookUnity Recipes?

Using forbidden ingredients can lead to recipe rejections, delays in launch, and poor customer experiences. Understanding these rules helps you protect your creativity while ensuring your dishes are compliant, safe, and high quality.

📌 What’s Not Allowed—and Why

The following ingredients are not allowed due to food safety risks, quality issues during logistics, or platform standards:

• Bone-in or skin-on chicken → Inconsistent sizing and higher spoilage risk
• Chips (potato, corn, plantain, etc.) → Become soggy in transit
• Raw chopped fruit (Apple, banana, pear or chopped fruit that browns) → Avoid as raw chopped as they get browned. It can be used in compotes or with citric acid or as mix, puree, etc.
• Fresh Fruits →They can't be used as topping or alone. Only in preparations (cooked, smoothies, blended, etc.). They can be used inside of yogurt or parfaits
• Pre-shredded fruits and vegetables (e.g. cabbage, lettuce, carrots, apple cubes, broccoli florets) → Spoil faster; deactivated due to quality complaints
• Precut proteins → Only these specific cuts are allowed:
  • Flat Iron
  • Ribeye (shaved)
  • Top Round 1/16"
  • Pork Chop
  • Fish (salmon, cod, mahi mahi, etc.)
  • Duck Breast
    
     
• Premade chicken, beef, or vegetable stock → Only base or powdered stocks allowed (due to warehouse space constraints)
• Iceberg lettuce → Wilts and browns quickly
• Skewers → Safety hazard due to potential breakage or splinters (Metal skewers may be used during cooking. Please check with your local Operations team to confirm equipment compatibility.)
• Organic or CLEAN ingredients → Only allowed if part of an officially approved brief
• Soy or mung bean sprouts → Spoil quickly during storage and delivery
• Tuna steak or generic trim → Cannot be safely cooked to required temperatures; fails food safety compliance
• Artificial flavors and colors → Not allowed per platform standards
• Ultraprocessed ingredients (e.g. 7UP, Coca-Cola) → Forbidden due to quality and health concerns
• Non-Kosher salt → Only Kosher salt is permitted unless specified otherwise in a brief
• Burrata → Gets moldy before reaching the eater
• Raw Blueberries →They don’t hold up the whole shelf life. They are allowed in preparations
• Gnocchi  → Really bad experiences in the past. 

🔒 What Else Should You Know?

• These restrictions apply across all recipe types and meal lines unless otherwise stated.
• Dishes using any forbidden ingredient will be rejected or archived.
• Ingredient substitutions must be pre-approved to avoid delays or compliance issues.

Final Thought:

Following these ingredient rules is essential to keep your recipes compliant and customer-ready. Stick to the approved list, and you’ll avoid setbacks—while keeping your creativity focused where it matters most.

If you have any questions or need support during this process, please reach out to your assigned Recipe Squad member or email us at [e-mail].