Cheetos
by Fritolay
Contains 4 flagged ingredients
Cheetos by Fritolay receives a safety score of 0/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 4 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.
What the Data Says About
Cheetos by Fritolay carries a composite safety score of 0/100, 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.
Our scan identified 4 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, Cheetos 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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 0/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 4 | 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
Full Ingredient List
NGREDIENTS: ENRICHED CORN MEAL (CORN MEAL, FERROUS SULFATE, NIACIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, CANOLA, AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL), CHEDDAR JALAPEÑO SEASONING (SALT, WHEY, MALTODEXTRIN [MADE FROM CORN], CANOLA OIL, BUTTERMILK, ROMANO CHEESE [COW'S MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES], MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, CHEDDAR CHEESE [MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES], POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, ONION POWDER, CORN STARCH, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SPICES, LACTOSE, JALAPEÑO PEPPER, GARLIC POWDER, SODIUM CASEINATE, ARTIFICIAL COLOR [YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5, BLUE 1, RED 40], SKIM MILK, LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, MALIC ACID, SUNFLOWER OIL, DISODIUM INOSINATE, AND DISODIUM GUANYLATE), CONTAINS MILK INGREDIENTS, FRITO-LAY, INC, PLANO, TX 75024-4099 © 2006 FRÍTOLAY 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.
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