Is Tostitos Chunky Salsa Medium ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Flavouring
- Maltodextrin
- Modified starch
- E102 Tartrazine
- E110 Sunset yellow FCF
- E452 Polyphosphates
- and 2 more
- 27 ingredients
- 6 additives
- Nutri-Score D
Less processed dips
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
water, skim milk, monterey jack cheese (processing marker) (milk, cheese cultures, salt (processing marker), enzymes), vegetable oil (processing marker) (corn oil, sunflower oil, canola oil), modified food starch (ultra-processing marker), diced tomatoes in tomato juice, jalapeño peppers, chile peppers, red bell peppers, maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker) (corn), salt (processing marker) 2%, natural flavors (ultra-processing marker), sodium hexametaphosphate (ultra-processing marker), monosodium glutamate (ultra-processing marker), datem (ultra-processing marker), sodium phosphate, spice, yellow 5 (ultra-processing marker), yellow 6 (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E452 Polyphosphates , E452i Sodium polyphosphate , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E621 Monosodium glutamate
As written on the pack
WATER, SKIM MILK, MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), VEGETABLE OIL (CORN OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL, CANOLA OIL), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, DICED TOMATOES IN TOMATO JUICE, JALAPEÑO PEPPERS, CHILE PEPPERS, RED BELL PEPPERS, MALTODEXTRIN (CORN), 2% SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, DATEM, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SPICE, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6).
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.
- E102 Tartrazine Tartrazine is a synthetic yellow azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the US).
- E110 Sunset yellow FCF Sunset yellow FCF is a synthetic orange azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 6 in the US).
- E452 Polyphosphates Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
- E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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- Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
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.
- 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.
- Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.
Among 433 dips
From least to most processed, this one ranks 423rd. 43% of the dips here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028400070980, last edited 23 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 D (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.