Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Doritos Cool original ultra-processed?

Crisps Sold in the United Kingdom

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:

  • 31 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

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

Com (Maize), Rapeseed Oil, Cool Original Flavour, Sat Flavouring, Acidity Regulators (Malic Acid, Sodium Acetates Citric Acid), Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5, Ribonucleotide), Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Onion, Cheese Powder (from Milk), Garlic, Tomato, Potassium Chloride, Spices, Milk Protein, Colour (Annatto Bixin), Antioxidants (Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol Rich Extract Ceic Acid), Contains (See highlighted ingredients), the other cereals containing gluten

Additives: E296 Malic acid , E300 Ascorbic acid , E330 Citric acid , E392 Extracts of rosemary , E508 Potassium chloride , E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

Com (Maize), Rapeseed Oil, Cool Original Flavour (Sat Flavouring (contains Milk), Acidity Regulators (Malic Acid, Sodium Acetates Citric Acid), Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5 - Ribonucleotide), Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Onion Powder, Cheese Powder (from Milk), Garlic Powder, Tomato Powder, Potassium Chloride, Spices, Milk Protein, Colour (Annatto Bixin) Antioxidants (Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol Rich Extract Ceic Acid) Allergy Advice Contains: See highlighted ingredients. May Contain: Soya, Wheat and the other cereals containing gluten. No Artificial Colours or Flavours. Suitable for Vegetarians Packaged in a Protective Atmosphere

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.

  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.

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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
3 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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • 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 1292nd. 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 5000328039206, last edited 28 March 2026), 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.