Sweet Chili Heat

by Lays

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Sweet Chili Heat by Lays receives a safety score of 85/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient 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
0060410051122
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
50.0g

What the Data Says About

Sweet Chili Heat by Lays carries a composite safety score of 85/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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 1 flagged ingredient 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, Sweet Chili Heat 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 Sweet Chili Heat
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 85/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 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
Specially Selected Potatoes
2
Vegetable Oil
3
Seasoning
4
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
5
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
6
Msg
7
Soy Sauce Solids
8
Hydrolyzed Corn And Soy Protein
9
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
Potassium Chloride
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
11
Sodium Acetate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT
GRAS
12
Fructose
Sweetener
Cut Back
13
Acetic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
14
Tapioca Maltodextrin
15
Onion Powder
16
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
17
Yeast Extract
18
Garlic Powder
19
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
20
Spices
21
Vinegar Solids
22
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
23
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
24
Sucralose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
25
Paprika
26
Caramel
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
27
Natural Flavour
28
Soy
29
Wheat Ingrédients : Pommes De Terre Spécialement Sélectionnées
30
Huile Végétale
31
Assaisonnement
32
Maltodextrine
33
Sucre
34
Glutamate Monosodique
35
Solides De Sauce Soya
36
Protéines De Maïs Et De Soya Hydrolysées
37
Sel
38
Chlorure De Potassium
39
Acétate De Sodium Acide

Full Ingredient List

Specially selected potatoes, Vegetable oil, Seasoning (maltodextrin, sugar, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce solids, hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, salt, potassium chloride, sodium acetate, fructose, acetic acid, tapioca maltodextrin, onion powder, citric acid, yeast extract, garlic powder, malic acid, spices, vinegar solids, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, sucralose, paprika, caramel, natural flavour). Contains: Soy, Wheat Ingrédients : Pommes de terre spécialement sélectionnées, Huile végétale, Assaisonnement (maltodextrine, sucre, glutamate monosodique, solides de sauce soya, protéines de maïs et de soya hydrolysées, sel, chlorure de potassium, acétate de sodium Acide

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