Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Quest Protein Chips Ranch Flavored ultra-processed?

Crisps Sold in the United States

Pack of Quest Protein Chips Ranch Flavored

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:

  • 32 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

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), high oleic sunflower oil, calcium caseinate, corn starch, natural flavors, buttermilk, nonfat milk, psyllium husk, contains less than 2% of the following (cheddar cheese powder, cultured milk), salt, enzymes, tomato powder, onion powder, garlic powder, spice, salt, soluble corn fiber, whey powder, chia seed, turmeric extract (color), malic acid, sugar, sunflower lecithin, calcium carbonate, yeast extract, steviol glycosides (stevia)

Additives: E100 Curcumin , E170 Calcium carbonates , E170i Calcium carbonate , E296 Malic acid , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E960 Steviol glycosides

As written on the pack

Protein blend (milk protein isolate, whey protein isolate), high oleic sunflower oil, calcium caseinate, corn starch, natural flavors, buttermilk powder, nonfat milk, psyllium husk. contains less than 2% of the following: cheddar cheese powder (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), tomato powder, onion powder, garlic powder, spice, salt, soluble corn fiber, whey powder, chia seed, turmeric extract (color), malic acid, sugar, sunflower lecithin, calcium carbonate, yeast extract, steviol glycosides (stevia).

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.

  • E100 Curcumin Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E170 Calcium carbonates Calcium carbonate is chalk.
  • 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.
  • E960 Steviol glycosides Steviol glycosides are sweet compounds extracted and purified from the leaves of the stevia plant.
  • 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.

  • 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.
  • 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.
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.
  • 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 1,471 crisps

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1390th. 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 0888849006649, last edited 27 September 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.