Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Popcorners ultra-processed?

30 oz Corn chips Sold in the United States

Pack of Popcorners

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
  • 3 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

yellow corn, sunflower oil, and SEA SALT, yellow corn, sunflower oil, whey, and LESS THAN 2% OF CHEDDAR CHEESE (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), salt, onion, buttermilk, maltodextrin (made from corn), tomato, reduced lactose whey, spices, natural flavors, yeast extract, paprika, garlic, citric acid, paprika extracts, safflower oil, canola oil, annatto, and LACTIC ACID, yellow corn, sunflower oil, cane sugar, and SEA SALT, yellow corn, sunflower oil, whey, reduced lactose whey, maltodextrin (made from corn), natural flavors, canola oil, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), salt, citric acid, and LACTIC ACID

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

YELLOW CORN, SUNFLOWER OIL, AND SEA SALT, YELLOW CORN, SUNFLOWER OIL, WHEY, AND LESS THAN 2% OF CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), SALT, ONION POWDER, BUTTERMILK, MALTODEXTRIN (MADE FROM CORN), TOMATO POWDER, REDUCED LACTOSE WHEY, SPICES, NATURAL FLAVORS, YEAST EXTRACT, PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER, CITRIC ACID, PAPRIKA EXTRACTS, SAFFLOWER OIL, CANOLA OIL, ANNATTO EXTRACTS, AND LACTIC ACID, YELLOW CORN, SUNFLOWER OIL, CANE SUGAR, AND SEA SALT, YELLOW CORN, SUNFLOWER OIL, WHEY, REDUCED LACTOSE WHEY, MALTODEXTRIN (MADE FROM CORN), NATURAL FLAVORS, CANOLA OIL, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), SALT, CITRIC ACID, AND LACTIC ACID

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.
  • 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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • 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 359 corn chips

From least to most processed, this one ranks 261st. 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 0810607024244, last edited 23 December 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.
  • 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.