cheetos puffs flamin' hot

by Cheetos

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

cheetos puffs flamin' hot by Cheetos receives a safety score of 0/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 4 ingredients 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
0028400329132
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
28g

What the Data Says About

cheetos puffs flamin' hot by Cheetos 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.

Our scan identified 4 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, cheetos puffs flamin' hot 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 cheetos puffs flamin' hot
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 4 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
Enriched Corn Meal
2
Corn Meal
3
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Thiamin Mononitrate
6
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
And Folic Acid
8
Vegetable Oil
9
Corn Oil
10
Canola Oil
11
Sunflower Oil
12
Flamin' Hot Seasoning
13
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
14
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
16
Artificial Color
17
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
18
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
19
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
20
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
21
Msg
22
Yeast Extract
23
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
24
Cheddar Cheese
25
Milk
26
Cheese Cultures
27
Enzymes
28
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
29
Onion Powder
30
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
31
Natural Flavor
32
Garlic Powder
33
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
34
Buttermilk
35
Corn Syrup Solids
36
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
37
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
38
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
39
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
40
Skim Milk

Full Ingredient List

Enriched Corn Meal (Corn Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, And Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (Corn oil, Canola oil, Sunflower Oil), Flamin' Hot Seasoning (Maltodextrin, Salt, Sugar, Artificial Color [Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5], Monosodium Glutamate, Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Sunflower Oil, Cheddar Cheese [Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Onion Powder, Whey, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder, Whey Protein Concentrate, Buttermilk, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium Diacetate, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Sodium Caseinate, Skim Milk).

Categories

Snacks Salty snacks

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