Avoid

Flamin' Hot Cheddar & Sour Cream

by Ruffles

Scores 25/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 3 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0028400769112 · Serving size 13 Chip (28 g)

The verdict

Flamin' Hot Cheddar & Sour Cream by Ruffles scores 25/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 34 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 3 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.

25/100
Avoid safety score
3
flagged ingredients of 34 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0028400769112
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

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 Flamin' Hot Cheddar & Sour Cream

Flamin' Hot Cheddar & Sour Cream by Ruffles carries a composite safety score of 25/100, 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 3 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, Flamin' Hot Cheddar & Sour Cream 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 Flamin' Hot Cheddar & Sour Cream
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 25/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 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
Potatoes
2
Vegetable Oil
3
Canola
4
Corn
5
Soybean
6
Sunflower Oil
7
Corn Maltodextrin
8
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
9
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
10
Yeast Extract
11
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
12
Msg
13
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
14
Onion Powder
15
Cheddar Cheese
16
Milk
17
Cheese Cultures
18
Enzymes
19
Natural And Artificial Flavors
20
Artificial Color
21
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
22
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
23
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
24
Blue Cheese
25
Buttermilk
26
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
27
Garlic Powder
28
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
29
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
30
Sour Cream
31
Cultured Cream
32
Skim Milk
33
Butter
34
Cream

Full Ingredient List

POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA, CORN, SOYBEAN, AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL), CORN MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, WHEY, YEAST EXTRACT, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, CITRIC ACID, ONION POWDER, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (YELLOW 6 LAKE, RED 40 LAKE, YELLOW 5 LAKE), BLUE CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), BUTTERMILK, SODIUM DIACETATE, GARLIC POWDER, LACTOSE, LACTIC ACID, SOUR CREAM (CULTURED CREAM, SKIM MILK), BUTTER (CREAM, SALT)

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.