Is Walkers SQUARES Salt & Vinegar ultra-processed?

22g Crisps made from reconstituted potato Sold in the United Kingdom and Guernsey

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Maltodextrin
E621 Monosodium glutamate
E627 Disodium guanylate

12 ingredients
4 additives
Nutri-Score D

Less processed crisps made from reconstituted potato

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 (processing marker), Potato Starch (processing marker), Salt and Vinegar Flavour (ultra-processing marker) (Flavouring, Citric acid, Sugar (processing marker), Monosodium glutamate (ultra-processing marker), Disodium guanylate (ultra-processing marker), Potassium Chloride), Maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), Salt (processing marker)

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E508 Potassium chloride , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate

As written on the pack

Potato Granules, Sunflower Oil, Potato Starch, Salt & Vinegar Flavour [Flavouring, Acid (Citric acid), Sugar, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium glutamate, Disodium guanylate), Potassium Chloride], Maltodextrin, Salt

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.
E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
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.

5 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 19 crisps made from reconstituted potato

From least to most processed, this one ranks 6th. 89% of the crisps made from reconstituted potato 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 19 crisps made from reconstituted potato, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 51000646, last edited 14 September 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.