Avoid

Flamin' Hot Puffs

by Cheetos

Scores 0/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis , with 4 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0028400769273 · Serving size 28g

The verdict

Flamin' Hot Puffs by Cheetos scores 0/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 40 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 4 ingredients are flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 40-component record, beginning with Enriched Corn Meal, Corn Meal, Ferrous Sulfate. That density can include amounts and label fragments, so verify the physical label before relying on ingredient order or completeness. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination.

0/100
Avoid safety score
4
flagged ingredients of 40 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
E
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

00769273 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Flamin' Hot Puffs label screening desk

SCORE-AVOID 0/100 FLAG-MANY 4 flagged LEN-DENSE 40 ing. REG-PART 45% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-E Nutri-E RANK-SHORT Len top 10% LEAD-FLAG Yellow 6 PHOTO-FINISH Nacho Flamin Hot · ±0 BOOK-OFF …769273 · July 2026

Flamin' Hot Puffs screens 0/100 with 4 flagged of 40 parsed ingredients. 18 of 40 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Yellow 6). Derived index from public OFF + FDA SAFFA + CSPI data — not an official FDA rating; see methodology. Methodology · Read with nearest score peer: Nacho Flamin Hot (0 pts).

Screening model notes

How Nutri-Score, NOVA, and list length read this record

The composite for this product falls in the lowest of the four bands. That is where labels land when registry-rated components drive the greater part of the deduction from the index. The band name is drawn from the framework's own scale and is distinct from the ratings the registries themselves assign to individual substances, which are shown per component below. A single heavily rated component and several lightly rated ones can produce the same band, so the component table is the more precise reading of the two.

Nutri-Score assigned its lowest band to this label. The algorithm reserves that grade for nutrition panels where the values it penalises sit well above the components it credits. The two systems on this page measure genuinely different things: a product can hold this grade while carrying no additive flagged by the registries screened below, and a product graded well can carry several. Neither reading substitutes for the other, and the per-component table is where the additive picture is set out.

The declared list is among the longer ones in this catalogue. A component set this wide means the screen returns many individual ratings, and the composite accumulates a large number of small contributions instead of turning on a handful of entries. At this length the per-component table below is substantially more informative than the single figure, because the figure compresses a great deal of variation into one number.

Cross-brand screening score neighbourhood

1. Flamin' Hot Puffs0/1002. Nacho Flamin Hot0/1003. Doritos Spicy Nacho0/1004. Late Night Zesty Jalapeño…0/1005. Flamin' Hot Flavored Popc…0/100
Nearest cross-brand products by ingredient screening score for Flamin' Hot Puffs (0/100 here).
Chart values as text

Unit: PlainFoodSafe screening score out of 100. Data current as of July 2026.

Flamin' Hot Puffs
0/100
Nacho Flamin Hot
0/100
Doritos Spicy Nacho
0/100
Late Night Zesty Jalapeño …
0/100
Flamin' Hot Flavored Popcorn
0/100

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 88,006 products we've scored in the Snacks category, the average safety score is 86.1/100. Flamin' Hot Puffs scores 86.1 points below that category average (0/100 vs. 86.1/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient-list length vs other Snacks products

Flamin' Hot Puffs lists 40 ingredients on its label

40 90th percentile a longer ingredient list than 90% of the 81,477 products we track

0–2: 272 products (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 2,904 products (4%). Below this entry. 4–6: 4,228 products (5%). Below this entry. 6–8: 5,399 products (7%). Below this entry. 8–10: 5,484 products (7%). Below this entry. 10–12: 5,797 products (7%). Below this entry. 12–14: 6,263 products (8%). Below this entry. 14–16: 6,708 products (8%). Below this entry. 16–18: 6,234 products (8%). Below this entry. 18–20: 5,191 products (6%). Below this entry. 20–22: 4,484 products (6%). Below this entry. 22–24: 3,818 products (5%). Below this entry. 24–26: 3,579 products (4%). Below this entry. 26–28: 2,824 products (3%). Below this entry. 28–30: 2,271 products (3%). Below this entry. 30–32: 1,916 products (2%). Below this entry. 32–34: 1,736 products (2%). Below this entry. 34–36: 1,564 products (2%). Below this entry. 36–38: 1,434 products (2%). Below this entry. 38–40: 1,291 products (2%). Below this entry. 40–42: 8,080 products (10%). This entry sits in this band. This product 0 42 every published Snacks product, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Distribution as text

81,477 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 40 (90th percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
272 products (0%)
2–4
2,904 products (4%)
4–6
4,228 products (5%)
6–8
5,399 products (7%)
8–10
5,484 products (7%)
10–12
5,797 products (7%)
12–14
6,263 products (8%)
14–16
6,708 products (8%)
16–18
6,234 products (8%)
18–20
5,191 products (6%)
20–22
4,484 products (6%)
22–24
3,818 products (5%)
24–26
3,579 products (4%)
26–28
2,824 products (3%)
28–30
2,271 products (3%)
30–32
1,916 products (2%)
32–34
1,736 products (2%)
34–36
1,564 products (2%)
36–38
1,434 products (2%)
38–40
1,291 products (2%)
40 and above
8,080 products (10%)

Source Open Food Facts, product label ingredient lists · July 2026

Ingredient-list length is a descriptive property of the label, not a safety rating. A longer list is not automatically worse and a shorter one is not automatically better; the count is shown so the label can be placed against a comparable population. The comparison here runs against the 81,477 Snacks products we publish with a parsed label, not against the whole catalogue, because list length varies far more between categories than within one.

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
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
8
Vegetable Oil
9
Corn
10
Canola
11
Sunflower Oil
12
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
13
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
14
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Artificial Color
16
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
17
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
18
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
19
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
20
Msg
21
Yeast Extract
22
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
23
Cheddar Cheese
24
Milk
25
Cheese Cultures
26
Enzymes
27
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
28
Onion Powder
29
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
30
Natural Flavors
31
Garlic Powder
32
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
33
Buttermilk
34
Corn Syrup Solids
35
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
36
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
37
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
38
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
39
Skim Milk
40
Milk Ingredients

Full Ingredient List

ENRICHED CORN MEAL (CORN MEAL, FERROUS SULFATE, NIACIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, CANOLA, SUNFLOWER OIL), MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, SUGAR, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (RED 40 LAKE, YELLOW 6 LAKE, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5), MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, YEAST EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), HYDROLYZED CORN PROTEIN, ONION POWDER, WHEY, NATURAL FLAVORS, GARLIC POWDER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, BUTTERMILK, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, SODIUM DIACETATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, SODIUM CASEINATE, SKIM MILK. CONTAINS MILK INGREDIENTS.

Categories

Snacks Salty snacks Appetizers Chips and fries Crisps

Lower-score cross-brand comparables for Flamin' Hot Puffs

Neighbours outside Cheetos in the same lower screening band as Flamin' Hot Puffs (0/100). The More-from block above stays brand-local.

Barcode 0028400769273: product data from Open Food Facts (July 2026). Screening from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine where attached. Figures are computed from those sources, not editor-typed. Methodology. Reference only, not dietary or medical advice.