Cheesy & Tangy Mix

by FritoLay

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 5 flagged ingredients

Cheesy & Tangy Mix by FritoLay 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.

Barcode
0028400708746
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1g

What the Data Says About

Cheesy & Tangy Mix by FritoLay 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, Cheesy & Tangy 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Cheesy & Tangy Mix
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 Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Corn
2
Vegetable Oil
3
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
4
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
5
Spices
6
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
7
Cheddar Cheese
8
Tomato Powder
9
Msg
10
Onion Powder
11
Natural Flavors
12
Romano Cheese
13
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
14
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Buttermilk
16
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
17
Annatto Extracts
18
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
19
Sunflower Oil
20
Calcium Powder
21
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
22
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
23
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
24
Canola
25
Soybean
26
Natural And Artificial Flavors
27
Yeast Extract
28
Corn Syrup Solids
29
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
30
Garlic Powder
31
Artificial Color
32
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
33
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
34
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
35
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
36
Corn Starch
37
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
38
Skim Milk
39
Corn Maltodextrin
40
Potassium Salt
41
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS

Full Ingredient List

corn, vegetable oil, whey, salt, spices, maltodextrin, cheddar cheese, tomato powder, monosodium glutamate, onion powder, natural flavors, romano cheese, dextrose, sugar, buttermilk, sodium caseinate, annatto extracts, cheddar cheese, salt, citric acid, sunflower oil, calcium powder, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, caramel color, corn, vegetable oil, corn, canola, soybean, and/or sunflower oil, cheddar cheese, onion powder, monosodium glutamate, natural and artificial flavors, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, whey, maltodextrin, buttermilk, corn syrup solids, lactic acid, garlic powder, artificial color, yellow 6, yellow 5, red 40, blue 1, spices, citric acid, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, corn, vegetable oil, corn, canola, soybean, and/or sunflower oil, salt, corn starch, tomato powder, lactose, whey, skim milk, onion powder, sugar, garlic powder, monosodium glutamate, corn maltodextrin, potassium salt, cheddar cheese, dextrose, malic acid, corn syrup solids, buttermilk, natural and artificial flavors, sodium caseinate, artificial color, red 40, blue 1, yellow 5, spices, citric acid, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate

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