Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Walkers Squares Cheese & Onion ultra-processed?

Potato crisps Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Walkers Squares Cheese & Onion

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
  • 5 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, Cheese, Onion Flavour (Whey permeate (from Milk), Salt, Sugar, Flavouring, Rice Flour, Onion, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid, Malic Acid), Whey Protein, Garlic, Cheese Powder (from Milk), Whey Milk Powder, Colour (Annatto bixin, Paprika Extract), Maltodextrin, Skimmed Milk Powder), Contains (See highlighted ingredients)

Additives: E160b Annatto , E160bi Annatto bixin , E160c Paprika extract , E296 Malic acid , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Potato Granules, Sunflower Oil, Potato Starch, Cheese & Onion Flavour [Whey permeate (from Milk), Salt, Sugar, Flavouring (contains Milk), Rice Flour, Onion Powder, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid, Malic Acid), Whey Protein (contains Milk), Garlic Powder, Cheese Powder (from Milk), Whey Milk Powder, Colour (Annatto bixin, Paprika Extract), Maltodextrin, Skimmed Milk Powder]. Allergy Advice Contains: See highlighted ingredients May contain: 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.

  • E160b Annatto Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • 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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
7 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.
  • 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.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 622 potato crisps

From least to most processed, this one ranks 598th. 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 51000648, last edited 15 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.