Potato chips

by Ruffles

75
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Potato chips by Ruffles receives a safety score of 75/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient that have been flagged for potential safety concerns by regulatory or consumer advocacy databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0028400002264
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

Potato chips by Ruffles carries a composite safety score of 75/100, which we classify as "Caution" on our four-tier shelf-label framework. The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Our scan identified 1 flagged ingredient in this product — components that at least one official source has classified as requiring caution, targeted avoidance, or further evaluation. Flagged ingredients are the items most likely to surface in FDA inspection findings, state-level ingredient bans, or outbreak-related recall notices, so the per-ingredient breakdown below is the most useful lens for anyone screening this product for a specific dietary concern.

On the NOVA processing scale, Potato chips is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone. The Nutri-Score grade of E reflects nutritional balance — calories, saturated fat, sugar, sodium versus fiber, protein, and produce content — which again is a distinct dimension from additive safety and worth weighing alongside the scores above.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Potato chips
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 75/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score E OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Potatoes
2
Vegetable Oil
3
Organic Sunflower
4
Corn
5
And Or Canola Ofil
6
Cheddar
7
Sour Cream Seasoning
8
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
9
Made From Corn
10
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
11
Whey
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FORMULATION AID, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
12
Cheddar Cheese
13
Milk
14
Cheese Cultures
15
Enzymes
16
Onion Powder
17
Con Oil
18
Msg
19
Natural And Artificial Flavors
20
Buttermilk
21
Canola Oil
22
Sour Cream
23
Cultured Cream
24
Skim Milk
25
Lactose
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
26
Butter
27
Cream
28
Sodium Caseinate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
29
Yeast Extract
30
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS
31
Blue Cheese
32
Fzymes
33
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
34
Garlic Powder
35
Artificial Color
36
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
37
Yellow 5j
38
Whey Protein Isolate
39
Sunflower Oil
40
And Milk Protein Concentrate
41
Milk Ingredients
42
Fh

Full Ingredient List

potatoes, vegetable oil (sunflower, corn, and or canola ofil), cheddar , sour cream seasoning (maltodextrin [made from corn], salt, whey, cheddar cheese [milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes], onion powder, con oil, monosodium glutamate, natural and artificial flavors, buttermilk, canola oil, sour cream [cultured cream, skim milk], lactose, butter [cream, salt], sodium caseinate, yeast extract, citric acid, skim milk, blue cheese [milk, cheese cultures, salt, fzymes], lactic acid, garlic powder, artificial color [yellow 6, yellow 5j, whey protein isolate, sunflower oil, and milk protein concentrate), contains milk ingredients, fh

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Snacks Cereals and potatoes Salty snacks Appetizers Chips and fries Crisps Potato crisps

Data Sources

Data as of 2025. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.

This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.

Related

Data sourced from official FDA, USDA, and CDC food-safety databases. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial