Avoid

Twisted Queso Chips

by Doritos

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

Barcode 0028400774888 · Serving size 1 bag (74.4 g)

The verdict

Twisted Queso Chips by Doritos scores 25/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 35 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 3 ingredients are flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 35-component record, beginning with Corn, Vegetable Oil, Canola. 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.

25/100
Avoid safety score
3
flagged ingredients of 35 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0028400774888
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 Twisted Queso Chips

Twisted Queso Chips by Doritos carries a composite safety score of 25/100, which we classify as "Avoid" on our four-tier shelf-label framework.

Of the 35 ingredients parsed from this label, 14 are covered by a regulator or watchdog we screen against (Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Sodium Caseinate and 11 others), with 12 carrying an FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) status and 10 a CSPI Chemical Cuisine rating. The remaining 21 ingredients appear in neither registry, so they neither raise nor lower the score. Each additive rated caution-or-worse penalizes the composite. 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, Twisted Queso Chips 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 Twisted Queso Chips
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
Corn
2
Vegetable Oil
3
Canola
4
Soybean
5
Sunflower Oil
6
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
7
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
8
Corn Maltodextrin
9
Msg
10
Buttermilk
11
Romano Cheese
12
Cow's Milk
13
Cheese Cultures
14
Enzymes
15
Cheddar Cheese
16
Milk
17
Onion Powder
18
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
19
Natural And Artificial Flavors
20
Spices
21
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
22
Jalapeño Peppers
23
Garlic Powder
24
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
25
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
26
Skim Milk
27
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
28
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
29
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
30
Artificial Color
31
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
32
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
33
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
34
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
35
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved

Full Ingredient List

CORN, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, CANOLA, SOYBEAN, AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL), WHEY, SALT, CORN MALTODEXTRIN, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, BUTTERMILK, ROMANO CHEESE (COW'S MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), ONION POWDER, SUGAR, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SPICES, LACTOSE, JALAPEÑO PEPPERS, GARLIC POWDER, DEXTROSE, SODIUM CASEINATE, SKIM MILK, LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, MALIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (YELLOW 6, BLUE 1, RED 40), DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE.

Data Sources

Data as of August 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 August 2026.

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