Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Walkers Salt & Vinegar Flavour Potato Snack ultra-processed?

Potato crisps Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Walkers Salt & Vinegar Flavour Potato Snack

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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed 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

Potato, Sunflower Oil, Potato Starch, Salt and Vinegar Flavour (Flavouring, Acid (Citric acid), Sugar, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium glutamate, Disodium fanylate), Potassium Chloride), Maltodextrin, Sai Allergy Advice Made in a factory that also handles, Wheat, Gluten, Barley, Soya

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E508 Potassium chloride , E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

Potato Granules, Sunflower Oil, Potato Starch, Salt & Vinegar Flavour [Flavouring, Acid (Citric acid), Sugar, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium glutamate, Disodium fanylate) Potassium Chloride], Maltodextrin, Sai Allergy Advice Made in a factory that also handles: Milk, Wheat, Gluten, Barley, Soya

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.

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.

  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • 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.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 622 potato crisps

From least to most processed, this one ranks 528th. 66% of the potato 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 622 potato crisps, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000328238807, last edited 22 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.