Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Cheetos Flamin' Hot Crunchy ultra-processed?

425.2g, 15 oz Crisps Sold in the United States

Pack of Cheetos Flamin' Hot Crunchy

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:

  • 40 ingredients
  • 9 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed crisps

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

corn meal (corn meal, ferrous acid), vegetable oil (corn, canola, and SUNFLOWER SULFATE, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic oil), flamin' hot seasoning, maltodextrin (made from corn), salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, citric acid, artificial color (red 40 lake, yellow 6 lake, yellow 6, yellow 5, sunflower oil, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), onion, whey, whey protein, garlic, natural flavor, buttermilk, sodium diacetate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), and SALT

Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E129 Allura red , E262 Sodium acetates , E262ii Sodium diacetate , E330 Citric acid , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

ENRICHED CORN MEAL (CORN MEAL, FERROUS ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, CANOLA, AND/OR SUNFLOWER SULFATE, NIACIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC OIL), FLAMIN' HOT SEASONING (MALTODEXTRIN [MADE FROM CORN], SALT, SUGAR, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, YEAST EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (RED 40 LAKE, YELLOW 6 LAKE, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5], SUNFLOWER OIL, CHEDDAR CHEESE [MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES], ONION POWDER, WHEY, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, GARLIC POWDER, NATURAL FLAVOR, BUTTERMILK, SODIUM DIACETATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE), AND SALT

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.

  • E102 Tartrazine Tartrazine is a synthetic yellow azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the US).
  • E110 Sunset yellow FCF Sunset yellow FCF is a synthetic orange azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 6 in the US).
  • E129 Allura red Allura red AC is a synthetic red azo dye (FD&C Red No. 40 in the US).
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
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  • 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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
5 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.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • 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 1,471 crisps

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1432nd. 64% of the crisps 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 1,471 crisps, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028400314077, last edited 4 July 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.