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Is Lay's Barbecue Flavored Potato Chips ultra-processed?

18 oz Potato crisps Sold in the United States

Pack of Lay's Barbecue Flavored Potato Chips

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:

  • 191 ingredients
  • 14 additives

Less processed potato 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), and LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, corn starch, tomato, lactose, whey, skim milk, onion, sugar, garlic, monosodium glutamate, corn maltodextrin, potassium salt, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), dextrose, malic acid, corn syrup, solids, buttermilk, NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, sodium acetate, artificial color (red 40, blue 1, yellow 5), spices, citric acid, disodium inosinate, and DISODIUM GUANYLATE, 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, 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, skim milk, RED and GREEN BELL PEPPERS, disodium inosinate, and DISODIUM GUANYLATE, corn, vegetable oil (corn, canola oil), and LESS THAN 2% OF WHEY, salt, spices (including chili pepper), corn maltodextrin, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), potassium salt, tomato, monosodium glutamate, onion, natural flavors, romano cheese (cow's milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), dextrose, sugar buttermilk, sodium caseinate, annatto (color), butter (cream, salt), citric acid, sunflower oil, garlic, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, caramel color, and YEAST EXTRACT, potatoes, vegetable oil (canola, corn, soybean, and SUNFLOWER OIL), skim milk, salt, whey, onion, parsley, sour cream (cultured cream, skim milk), dextrose, maltodextrin (made from corn), natural flavors, medium chain triglycerides, lactose, and CITRIC ACID, potatoes, vegetable oil (canola, corn, soybean, and SUNFLOWER OIL), sugar, salt, dextrose, maltodextrin (made from corn), molasses, torula yeast, natural, flavors, onion, spices, tomato, paprika, corn starch, paprika extracts, caramel color, yeast extract, garlic, and MUSTARD OIL, corn meal (corn meal, ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (corn, canola, and SUNFLOWER OIL), whey, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), salt, corn maltodextrin, NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, whey protein, monosodium glutamate, lactic acid, citric acid, and ARTIFICIAL COLOR (yellow 6)

Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E129 Allura red , E133 Brilliant blue FCF , E150c Ammonia caramel , E160c Paprika extract , E262 Sodium acetates , E262i Sodium acetate , E270 Lactic acid , E296 Malic acid , E330 Citric acid , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

CORN, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, CANOLA, SOYBEAN, AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL), AND LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, CORN STARCH, TOMATO POWDER, LACTOSE, WHEY, SKIM MILK, ONION POWDER,, SUGAR, GARLIC POWDER, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, CORN MALTODEXTRIN, POTASSIUM SALT, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), DEXTROSE, MALIC ACID, CORN SYRUP, SOLIDS, BUTTERMILK, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SODIUM ACETATE, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (RED 40, BLUE 1, YELLOW 5), SPICES, CITRIC ACID, DISODIUM INOSINATE, AND DISODIUM GUANYLATE, 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, CORN, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN AND/OR CANOLA OIL), AND LESS THAN 2% OF WHEY, SALT, SPICES (INCLUDING CHILI PEPPER), CORN MALTODEXTRIN, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT,, ENZYMES), POTASSIUM SALT, TOMATO POWDER, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, ONION POWDER, NATURAL FLAVORS, ROMANO CHEESE (COW'S MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), DEXTROSE, SUGAR BUTTERMILK, SODIUM CASEINATE, ANNATTO EXTRACT (COLOR), BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), CITRIC ACID, SUNFLOWER OIL, GARLIC POWDER, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, CARAMEL COLOR, AND YEAST EXTRACT, POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA, CORN, SOYBEAN, AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL), SKIM MILK, SALT, WHEY, ONION POWDER, PARSLEY, SOUR CREAM (CULTURED CREAM, SKIM MILK),, DEXTROSE, MALTODEXTRIN (MADE FROM CORN), NATURAL FLAVORS, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES, LACTOSE, AND CITRIC ACID, POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA, CORN, SOYBEAN, AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL), SUGAR, SALT, DEXTROSE, MALTODEXTRIN (MADE FROM CORN), MOLASSES, TORULA YEAST, NATURAL, FLAVORS, ONION POWDER, SPICES, TOMATO POWDER, PAPRIKA, CORN STARCH, PAPRIKA EXTRACTS, CARAMEL COLOR, YEAST EXTRACT, GARLIC POWDER, AND MUSTARD SEED OIL, ENRICHED CORN MEAL (CORN MEAL, FERROUS SULFATE, NIACIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, CANOLA, AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL), WHEY,, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), SALT, CORN MALTODEXTRIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, LACTIC ACID,, CITRIC ACID, AND ARTIFICIAL COLOR (YELLOW 6)

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.

Show 5 more
  • 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.
  • 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.

  • 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.
7 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.
  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • 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 622 potato crisps

From least to most processed, this one ranks 621st. 66% of the potato 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 622 potato crisps, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028400737425, last edited 7 November 2025), 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.