Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Mexicano Cheese Flavoured Corn Chips ultra-processed?

300 g Corn chips Sold in New Zealand

Pack of Mexicano Cheese Flavoured Corn 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:

  • 41 ingredients
  • 10 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

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 (rapeseed vegetable oil, sunflower vegetable oil), salt, cheese powder, milk, cheese (milk, salt, starter culture, enzymes), maltodextrine, mineral (salts, e339), e509, salt, sugar, yeast extract, anti-caking agent (e551), acidity regulators (e296, e330), vegetable gum (e415), whey powder, tomato, spices, onion, acidity regulators (e262, e270, e327), flavours, hydrolysed vegetable protein (maize), garlic power, spice extract (colour 160c)

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E262 Sodium acetates , E270 Lactic acid , E296 Malic acid , E327 Calcium lactate , E330 Citric acid , E339 Sodium phosphates , E415 Xanthan gum , E509 Calcium chloride , E551 Silicon dioxide

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E160c Paprika extract.

As written on the pack

CORN, VEGETABLE OIL (RAPESEED OR SUNFLOWER), SALT, CHEESE POWDER, MILK SOLIDS, CHEESE (MILK, SALT, STARTER CULTURE, ENZYMES), MALTODEXTRINE, MINERAL SALTS (E339, E509), SALT, SUGAR, YEAST EXTRACT, ANTI-CAKING AGENT (E551), ACIDITY REGULATORS (E296, E330), VEGETABLE GUM (E415), WHEY POWDER, TOMATO POWDER, SPICES, ONION POWDER, ACIDITY REGULATORS (E262, E270, E327), FLAVOURS, HYDROLYSED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (MAIZE), GARLIC POWER, SPICE EXTRACT (COLOUR 160C)

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E327 Calcium lactate Thickeners are substances which increase the viscosity of a foodstuff.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E551 Silicon dioxide A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • 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.

  • 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.
6 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.
  • Anti-caking agent Anti-caking agents are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another.
  • 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 359 corn chips

From least to most processed, this one ranks 305th. 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 9415684000009, last edited 3 May 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.