Avoid

Stax Potato Crisps, Thai Sweet Chili

by Lay's

Scores 0/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 7 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0028400249614 · Serving size 1 ONZ (28 g)

The verdict

Stax Potato Crisps, Thai Sweet Chili by Lay's scores 0/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 38 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 7 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

0/100
Avoid safety score
7
flagged ingredients of 38 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
E
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

What the Data Says About Stax Potato Crisps, Thai Sweet Chili

Stax Potato Crisps, Thai Sweet Chili by Lay's carries a composite safety score of 0/100, which we classify as "Avoid" 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

Our scan identified 7 flagged ingredients 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, Stax Potato Crisps, Thai Sweet Chili 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 Stax Potato Crisps, Thai Sweet Chili
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 7 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.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 94,909 products we've scored in the Snacks category, the average safety score is 87.4/100. Stax Potato Crisps, Thai Sweet Chili scores 87.4 points below that category average (0/100 vs. 87.4/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Potatoes
2
Vegetable Oil
3
Organic Sunflower
4
Corn
5
Cottonseed Oil
6
Unmodified Potato Starch
7
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
8
Rice Flour
9
And Less Than 2% Of The Following: Salt
10
Mono - And Diglycerides
11
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
12
Corn Starch
13
Msg
14
Onion Powder
15
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
16
Garlic Powder
17
Tomato Powder
18
Yeast Extract
19
Spices
20
Including Red Pepper
21
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
22
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
23
Made From Corn
24
Artificial Color
25
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
26
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
27
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
28
Blue 2
Avoid Approved (certified color)
29
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
30
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
31
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
32
Skim Milk
33
Natural And Artificial Flavor
34
Buttermilk
35
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
36
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
37
Soy Lecithin
38
And Citric Acid

Full Ingredient List

Dried Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Corn, And/Or Cottonseed Oil), Unmodified Potato Starch, Sugar, Rice Flour, And Less Than 2% Of The Following: Salt, Mono - And Diglycerides, Dextrose, Corn Starch, Monosodium Glutamate, Onion Powder, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Garlic Powder, Tomato Powder, Yeast Extract, Spices (Including Red Pepper), Lactose, Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Artificial Color (Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1), Skim Milk, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Buttermilk, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Soy Lecithin, And Citric Acid.

Categories

Snacks

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.