Frito Lay Classic Mix
by Frito Lay
Contains 5 flagged ingredients
Frito Lay Classic Mix by Frito Lay 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 5 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.
What the Data Says About
Frito Lay Classic Mix by Frito Lay 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 5 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, Frito Lay Classic Mix 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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 0/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 5 | 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
Full Ingredient List
CHEETOS CRUNCH CHEESE FLAVORED SNACKS (ENRICHED CORN MEAL (CORN MEAL, FERROUS SULFATE, NIACIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (CORN OIL, CANOLA OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL), CHEESE SEASONING (WHEY, CHEDDAR CHEESE [MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES], CANOLA OIL, MALTODEXTRIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SALT, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL COLOR [YELLOW 6]), SALT), RUFFLES CHEDDAR & SOUR CREAM FLAVORED POTATO CHIPS (POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA OIL, CORN OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL), MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, WHEY, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), ONION POWDER, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, BUTTERMILK, SOUR CREAM (CULTURED CREAM, SKIM MILK), LACTOSE, BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), SODIUM CASEINATE, YEAST EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, SKIM MILK, BLUE CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), LACTIC ACID, GARLIC POWDER, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5), WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE), LAY'S BARBECUE FLAVORED POTATO CHIPS (POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA OIL, CORN OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL), SUGAR, SALT, DEXTROSE, MALTODEXTRIN, MOLASSES, TORULA YEAST, NATURAL FLAVORS, ONION POWDER, SPICES, TOMATO POWDER, PAPRIKA, CORN STARCH, PAPRIKA EXTRACTS, CARAMEL COLOR, YEAST EXTRACT, GARLIC POWDER, MUSTARD SEED OIL), FRITOS ORIGINAL CORN CHIPS (CORN, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN OIL, CANOLA OIL), SALT), LAY'S CLASSIC POTATO CHIPS (POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA OIL, CORN OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL), SALT), DORITOS COOL RANCH FLAVORED TORTILLA CHIPS (CORN, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN OIL, CANOLA OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL), SALT, CORN STARCH, TOMATO POWDER, LACTOSE, WHEY, SKIM MILK, ONION POWDER, SUGAR, GARLIC POWDER, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, MALTODEXTRIN, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), DEXTROSE, MALIC ACID, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, BUTTERMILK, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SODIUM ACETATE, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (RED 40, BLUE 1, YELLOW 5), SPICE, CITRIC ACID, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE), DORITOS NACHO CHEESE FLAVORED TORTILLA CHIPS (CORN, VEGETABLE OIL (SUNFLOWER OIL, CANOLA OIL, CORN OIL), MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), WHEY, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, BUTTERMILK, ROMANO CHEESE (PART-SKIM COW'S MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), ROMANO CHEESE (COW'S MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ONION POWDER, CORN FLOUR, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, DEXTROSE, TOMATO POWDER, LACTOSE, SPICES, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5, RED 40), LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, SUGAR, GARLIC POWDER, SKIM MILK, RED AND GREEN BELL PEPPER POWDER, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM CASEINATE).
Categories
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.
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