Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Quest BBQ Original Protein Chips ultra-processed?

1.1 oz (32 g) Crisps Sold in the United States and Bolivia

Pack of Quest BBQ Original Protein 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:

  • 33 ingredients
  • 4 additives

Less processed 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

protein blend (milk protein isolate, whey protein isolate), vegetable oil (sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil), calcium caseinate, corn starch, salt, psyllium husk, sugar, tomato 2%, paprika, garlic, onion, spice, natural flavors, yeast, calcium carbonate, paprika extract (color), turmeric oleoresin (color), citric acid, molasses, yeast extract, stevia (sweetener), lecithin (sunflower lecithin, canola lecithin, soy lecithin)

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

PROTEIN BLEND (MILK PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE), VEGETABLE OIL (SUNFLOWER OIL, CANOLA OIL, SOYBEAN OIL), CALCIUM CASEINATE, CORN STARCH, SALT, PSYLLIUM HUSK, SUGAR. 2% TOMATO POWDER, PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER, ONION POWDER, SPICE, NATURAL FLAVORS, YEAST, CALCIUM CARBONATE, PAPRIKA EXTRACT (COLOR), TURMERIC OLEORESIN (COLOR), CITRIC ACID, MOLASSES, YEAST EXTRACT, STEVIA (SWEETENER), LECITHIN (SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, CANOLA LECITHIN, SOY LECITHIN).

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.
  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • 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.
  • Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.

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.

  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
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.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 1,471 crisps

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1323rd. 64% of the 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 1,471 crisps, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0888849000272, last edited 2 June 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.