Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is doritos ultra-processed?

Corn chips Sold in the United States

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:

  • 34 ingredients
  • 4 additives

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

corn, vegetable oil (corn, canola, a sunflower oil), and 2% and less of the following (malto (made from corn)), salt, citric acid, sugar, monos glutamate, artificial color, red 40 lake, yellow 6 hydrolyzed corn gluten, yeast extract, sodium dia cheddar cheese, milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzy modified corn starch, natural flavor, onion, corn syrup solids, garlic, romano che, part-skim cow's milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzy buttermilk, whey protein, disodium, disodium guanylate, contains muk ingredients

Additives: E129 Allura red , E330 Citric acid , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E621 Monosodium glutamate.

As written on the pack

corn, vegetable oil (corn, canola, a sunflower oil), and 2% or less of the following: malto (made from corn), salt, citric acid, sugar, monos glutamate, artificial color (red 40 lake, yellow 6 hydrolyzed corn gluten, yeast extract, sodium dia cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzy modified corn starch, natural flavor, onion powder, corn syrup solids, garlic powder, romano che (part-skim cow's milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzy buttermilk, whey protein concentrate, disodium and disodium guanylate, contains muk ingredients

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.

  • 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.
  • 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 proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
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.
  • Microbial culture Microbial cultures ferment foods such as yoghurt, cheese and sourdough.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 359 corn chips

From least to most processed, this one ranks 288th. 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 10970881, last edited 31 July 2024), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.