Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tayto Cheese and onion flavoured patato chips ultra-processed?

Cheese and onion crisps Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tayto Cheese and onion flavoured patato 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:

  • 20 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed flavoured potato 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

Potatoes, Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed Vegetable Oils), Oil, Sunflower Oil, Cheese, Onion Flavour (Onion, Yeast Powder (Yeast Powder, Flavouring), Cheese Powder, Flavour Enhancer (Monosodium Glutamate), Wheat Flour weat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt

Additives: E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

Potatoes, Vegetable Oils: Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil; Cheese and Onion Flavour (Onion Powder, Yeast Powder (Yeast Powder, Flavouring), Cheese Powder, Flavour Enhancer: Monosodium Glutamate; Wheat Flour weat Flour. Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt).

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.

  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.
  • 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 19 cheese and onion crisps

From least to most processed, this one ranks 6th. 95% of the cheese and onion 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 19 cheese and onion crisps, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5012159037894, last edited 27 March 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.