Is Tostitos Creamy Spinach Dip 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
- Milk proteins
- Modified starch
- E415 Xanthan gum
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E621 Monosodium glutamate
- 23 ingredients
- 5 additives
- Nutri-Score C
Less processed dips
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
water, spinach, sunflower oil (processing marker), canola oil, red bell peppers, water chestnuts, whey protein (ultra-processing marker), less than 2% of the following (onions), modified tapioca (ultra-processing marker), corn starch (processing marker), salt (processing marker), sugar (processing marker), vinegar, garlic powder, lactic acid, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker), xanthan gum (ultra-processing marker), datem (ultra-processing marker), torula yeast, monosodium glutamate (ultra-processing marker), and citric acid, ingredients
Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid , E415 Xanthan gum , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E621 Monosodium glutamate
As written on the pack
water, spinach, sunflower oil and/or canola oil, red bell peppers, water chestnuts, whey protein concentrate and less than 2% of the following: onions, modified tapioca and corn starch, salt, sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, lactic acid, natural flavor, xanthan gum, datem, torula yeast extract, monosodium glutamate, and citric acid, contains milk ingredients,
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.
- E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
- 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.
- 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.
- Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
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.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
Among 433 dips
From least to most processed, this one ranks 414th. 43% of the dips here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028400071031, last edited 24 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 C (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.