chesters

by Cheetos

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

chesters by Cheetos receives a safety score of 50/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 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
0028400747721
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 portion (28 g)

What the Data Says About

chesters by Cheetos carries a composite safety score of 50/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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 2 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, chesters 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 chesters
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 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
000 The % Daily Value
2
Dv
3
Tells You How Much A Nutrient Rements: Enriched Corn Meal
4
Corn Meal
5
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Thiamin Mononitrate
8
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Folic Acd
10
Vegetable Oil
11
Corn
12
Canola
13
Sunflower Oil
14
And Less Than 2% Of Salt
15
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
16
Made Rom Corn
17
Cheddar Cheese
18
Milk
19
Chees Cultures
20
Sal Enzymes
21
Potassium Salt
22
Tomato Powde Flavors
23
Onion Powder
24
Buttermilk
25
Artific 40 Lake
26
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
27
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
28
Cheese
29
Cow's Milk
30
Cheese Cultures
31
Sa Protein Concentrate
32
Monosodium Gl Powder
33
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
34
Corn Syrup Solids
35
Yeast Extract
36
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
37
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
38
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
39
Skim Milk
40
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
41
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
42
And Disodium Guanylate
43
Milk Ingredients. Frito-lay
44
Inc. Ey
45
Natural Or
46
Red Ow Hu No Ts
47
Whey Ric ⓡ ©20 Plano
48
Tx 75024-4000 Fritolay

Full Ingredient List

stal protein 2g vitamin d omcg calcium 10mg 0.5mg iren potassium 30mg not a 0% 0% 2% 0% significant source of added sugars. calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 the % daily value (dv) tells you how much a nutrient rements: enriched corn meal (corn meal, ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acd, vegetable oil (corn, canola, and/or sunflower oil), and less than 2% of salt, maltodextrin (made rom corn), cheddar cheese (milk, chees cultures, sal enzymes), potassium salt, tomato powde flavors, onion powder, buttermilk, artific 40 lake, yellow 6 lake, yellow 6, cheese (cow's milk, cheese cultures, sa protein concentrate, monosodium gl powder, sodium caseinate, corn syrup solids, yeast extract, lactose, lactic acid, sugar, skim milk, citric acid, disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate. contains milk ingredients. frito-lay, inc. ey, natural or (red ow hu no ts), whey ric ⓡ ©20 plano, tx 75024-4000 fritolay

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