Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Cheetos Crunchy Cheddar Jalapeño ultra-processed?

Corn chips Sold in Canada

Pack of Cheetos Crunchy Cheddar Jalapeño

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 59 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed corn chips

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

cornmeal (cornmeal, iron niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil seasoning (milk ingrédients, salt maltodextrin, cheddar cheese, vegetable oil, roman cheese, monosodium glutamate, potassium chlori onion powder, corn starch, disodium phosphat spices, jalapeño pepper, garlic, colour, citric acid, malic acid, disodium inosinate, disodium cuanylate, natural and artificial flavour), ingredients, ingredients (semoule de maïs enrichie, semoule de mais), fer, niacine, thiamine, riboflavine, acide folique huile vegetale, assaisonnement (substances laitieres modifiées, sel, maltodextrine, fromage cheddar, huile végétale, fromage romano, glutamate monosodique chlorure de potassium, poudre d'oignon, amidon de mais, phosphate disodique, épices, piment jalapeño poudre d'ail, colorant, acide citrique, acide malique inosinate disodique, guanylate disodique, aromes naturel et artificiel), contient des ingrédients du lait, frito lay canada 10%, r www.cheetos.ca marque de commerce utilisée sous licence par, trademark used under licence by, camp frito lay canada itville (ns), ge (ab)

Additives: E101 Riboflavin , E296 Malic acid , E330 Citric acid , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

enriched cornmeal (cornmeal, iron niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil seasoning (modified milk ingrédients, salt maltodextrin, cheddar cheese, vegetable oil, roman cheese, monosodium glutamate, potassium chlori onion powder, corn starch, disodium phosphat spices, jalapeño pepper, garlic powder, colour, citric acid, malic acid, disodium inosinate, disodium cuanylate, natural and artificial flavour). contains milk ingredients. ingredients: semoule de maïs enrichie (semoule de mais, fer, niacine, thiamine, riboflavine, acide folique huile vegetale, assaisonnement (substances laitieres modifiées, sel, maltodextrine, fromage cheddar, huile végétale, fromage romano, glutamate monosodique chlorure de potassium, poudre d'oignon, amidon de mais, phosphate disodique, épices, piment jalapeño poudre d'ail, colorant, acide citrique, acide malique inosinate disodique, guanylate disodique, aromes naturel et artificiel). contient des ingrédients du lait. frito lay canada 4% 10% (r www.cheetos.ca marque de commerce utilisée sous licence par */ trademark used under licence by/ camp frito lay canada itville (ns), ge (ab)

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E101 Riboflavin Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • Milk An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
4 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Salty snacks Products in the category "Salty snacks" are at least group 3.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 359 corn chips

From least to most processed, this one ranks 292nd. 46% of the corn chips here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 359 corn chips, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0060410054741, last edited 20 May 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.