Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tostitos Salsa Con Queso ultra-processed?

23 oz Dips Sold in the United States

Pack of Tostitos Salsa Con Queso

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:

  • 27 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed dips

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

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, peppers red bell peppers, maltodextrin (made from corn), salt, natural flavors, sodium hexametaphosphate, monosodium glutamate, datem, sodium phosphate, spice, and ARTIFICIAL COLOR (yellow 5, yellow 6)

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 (MADE FROM CORN), SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, DATEM, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SPICE, AND 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.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
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  • 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.

  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 433 dips

From least to most processed, this one ranks 425th. 43% of the dips 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 433 dips, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028400067409, last edited 3 April 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.