Avoid

Tortilla Style Protein Chips Hot & Spicy Flavor

by Quest

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

Barcode 44554316

The verdict

Tortilla Style Protein Chips Hot & Spicy Flavor by Quest scores 25/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 38 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 38 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
44554316
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 Tortilla Style Protein Chips Hot & Spicy Flavor

Tortilla Style Protein Chips Hot & Spicy Flavor by Quest 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, Tortilla Style Protein Chips Hot & Spicy Flavor 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 Tortilla Style Protein Chips Hot & Spicy Flavor
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.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 94,909 products we've scored in the Snacks category, the average safety score is 87.4/100. Tortilla Style Protein Chips Hot & Spicy Flavor scores 62.4 points below that category average (25/100 vs. 87.4/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Protein Blend
2
Milk Protein Isolate
3
Whey Protein Isolate
4
Vegetable Oil
5
Organic Sunflower
6
Canola
7
Soybean Oil
8
Calcium Caseinate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Approved
9
Corn Starch
10
Natural Flavors
11
Whey Powder
12
Psyllium Husk
13
Soluble Corn Fiber
14
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
Buttermilk Powder
16
Lecithin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
17
Soy Lecithin
18
Calcium Carbonate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
19
Yeast Extract
20
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
21
Tomato Powder
22
Onion Powder
23
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
24
Turmeric Oleoresin
25
Color
26
Chia Seed
27
Hot Sauce
28
Aged Cayenne Red Peppers
29
Vinegar
30
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
31
Cheddar Cheese Powder
32
Cultured Milk
33
Enzymes
34
Garlic Powder
35
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
36
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
37
Enzyme Modified Cheddar Cheese
38
Stevia Sweetener

Full Ingredient List

PROTEIN BLEND (MILK PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE), VEGETABLE OIL (SUNFLOWER, CANOLA, AND/OR SOYBEAN OIL), CALCIUM CASEINATE, CORN STARCH, NATURAL FLAVORS, WHEY POWDER, PSYLLIUM HUSK, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, SALT, BUTTERMILK POWDER, LECITHIN (SUNFLOWER, CANOLA AND/OR SOY LECITHIN), CALCIUM CARBONATE, YEAST EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, TOMATO POWDER, ONION POWDER, RED 40 LAKE, TURMERIC OLEORESIN (COLOR), CHIA SEED, HOT SAUCE (AGED CAYENNE RED PEPPERS, VINEGAR, SALT, GARLIC), CHEDDAR CHEESE POWDER (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), GARLIC POWDER, YELLOW 6 LAKE, YELLOW 5 LAKE, ENZYME MODIFIED CHEDDAR CHEESE, STEVIA SWEETENER

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Snacks Cereals and potatoes Salty snacks Appetizers Chips and fries Crisps Potato crisps

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.