Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Takis Blue Heat ultra-processed?

280.7 g Corn chips Sold in the United States and Bolivia

Pack of Takis Blue Heat

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:

  • 25 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

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 flour processed with lime, vegetable oil (palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, rice bran oil), seasoning (maltodextrin, citric acid, sugar, potassium chloride, salt, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed soybean protein, NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, hydrolyzed yeast, soybean oil, onion, blue 1 lake, sodium bicarbonate, chili pepper, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, tbhq (antioxidant))

Additives: E133 Brilliant blue FCF , E319 Tertiary-butylhydroquinone (tbhq) , E330 Citric acid , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

CORN FLOUR PROCESSED WITH LIME, VEGETABLE OIL (PALM OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, CANOLA OIL, RICE BRAN OIL), SEASONING [MALTODEXTRIN, CITRIC ACID, SUGAR, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SALT, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, HYDROLYZED SOYBEAN PROTEIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, HYDROLYZED YEAST, SOYBEAN OIL, ONION POWDER, BLUE 1 LAKE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, CHILI PEPPER (CHILE), DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, TBHQ (ANTIOXIDANT)].

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.

  • E133 Brilliant blue FCF Brilliant blue FCF is a synthetic blue dye, listed in the US as FD&C Blue No. 1.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • 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.
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.
  • 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 359 corn chips

From least to most processed, this one ranks 294th. 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 0757528037475, last edited 1 July 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.