Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Doritos Nacho Cheese ultra-processed?

1 oz (28.3 g) Flavoured corn crisps Sold in the United States and Bolivia

Pack of Doritos Nacho Cheese

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:

  • 49 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed flavoured corn 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, vegetable oil (corn, canola, soybean, and SUNFLOWER OIL), corn maltodextrin, and LESS THAN 2% OF CHEDDAR CHEESE (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), salt, whey, monosodium glutamate, buttermilk, romano cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), whey protein, onion powder, potassium salt, corn flour, NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, dextrose, tomato, lactose, spices, artificial color (yellow 6, yellow 5, red 40), lactic acid, citric acid, sugar, garlic powder, skim milk, RED and GREEN BELL PEPPERS, disodium inosinate, ingredients, frito-lay, INC, plano, tx 75024-4099 2013 frito-lay north america, INC, Frito Lay (R)

Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E129 Allura red , E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

CORN, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, CANOLA, SOYBEAN, AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL), CORN MALTODEXTRIN, AND LESS THAN 2% OF CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), SALT, WHEY, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, BUTTERMILK, ROMANO CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ONION POWDER, POTASSIUM SALT, CORN FLOUR, NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, DEXTROSE, TOMATO POWDER, LACTOSE, SPICES, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5, RED 40), LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, SUGAR, GARLIC POWDER, SKIM MILK, RED AND GREEN BELL PEPPERS, DISODIUM INOSINATE, AND DISODIUM GUANYLATE CONTAINS MILK INGREDIENTS. FRITO-LAY, INC. PLANO, TX 75024-4099 2013 FRITO-LAY NORTH AMERICA, INC. Frito Lay (R)

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.
  • 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.
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  • 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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Lactose Lactose is milk sugar, crystallised industrially from whey, a by-product of cheese making.
  • 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 21 flavoured corn crisps

From least to most processed, this one ranks 21st. 62% of the flavoured corn 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 21 flavoured corn crisps, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028400090896, last edited 14 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.