Is Pringles Original ultra-processed?

2.3 oz Stacked extruded potato crisps Sold in the United States, Bolivia and 2 more countries

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Maltodextrin
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

13 ingredients
1 additive
Nutri-Score E

Less processed stacked extruded potato crisps

Classic Original Potato Crisps The Good Crisp Company 7 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Sour Cream & Onion Potato Crisps The Good Crisp Company 19 ingredients · 2 additives NOVA group 3

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

potatoes, vegetable oil (processing marker) (corn, cottonseed, high oleic soybean, sunflower oil), cornstarch (processing marker), degerminated yellow corn flour, rice flour, maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), mono- and DIGLYCERIDES (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), wheat starch (processing marker)

Additives: E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

DRIED POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, COTTONSEED, HIGH OLEIC SOYBEAN AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL), CORNSTARCH, DEGERMINATED YELLOW CORN FLOUR, RICE FLOUR, MALTODEXTRIN, MONO - AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT, WHEAT STARCH.

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.

E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.

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.

4 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.
Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 48 stacked extruded potato crisps

From least to most processed, this one ranks 5th. 96% of the stacked extruded 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 48 stacked extruded potato crisps, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0038000845246, last edited 25 August 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 E (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.