Doritos Nacho Cheese
Summary
Doritos Nacho Cheese scores 1/100. A NOVA 4 ultra-processed corn chip with one of the worst additive profiles in the salty snack category. The base is corn, vegetable oil (corn, canola, and/or sunflower — a triple seed oil blend), with a seasoning system built on maltodextrin, MSG, three artificial dyes (Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5), artificial flavors, and multiple flavor enhancers (disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate stacked with MSG). The dye load is particularly egregious — all three are petroleum-derived and banned or warning-labeled in Europe. Contains dextrose (another refined sugar), buttermilk, and romano/cheddar cheese, but the real flavors are overwhelmed by the synthetic additive cocktail. Owned by Frito-Lay/PepsiCo. All regular Doritos flavor and size variants (Nacho Cheese, Cool Ranch, Flamas, Spicy Nacho, Spicy Sweet Chili, Dinamita and the rest) are standardized to 1/100: a NOVA 4 ultra-processed corn chip fried in industrial seed oils (corn, canola, and/or sunflower), with MSG, artificial colors in most flavors, and glyphosate residue detected in the corn base by independent testing. Only the clean-label Simply NKD line scores higher.
At a glance
Key ingredients 10
Corn (Whole)Neutral
Whole corn base — better than enriched corn meal, but still a refined starchy snack substrate.
See more about Corn (Whole) →Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil)Very Bad
Triple seed oil blend — all high in omega-6 fatty acids promoting systemic inflammation. Highly refined, chemically extracted oils.
See more about Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil) →MaltodextrinVery Bad
High-glycemic filler (GI 85-105) that spikes blood sugar faster than table sugar. Cheap carrier for the seasoning system.
See more about Maltodextrin →Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)Bad
Excitotoxic flavor enhancer that overstimulates taste receptors. Stacked with disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate for amplified effect.
See more about Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) →Disodium Inosinate and Disodium GuanylateBad
Flavor enhancers that amplify MSG's excitotoxic effect. Triple glutamate enhancer stack is a hallmark of ultra-processed food.
See more about Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate →Red 40Very Bad
Petroleum-derived artificial dye linked to hyperactivity in children and potential carcinogenicity. Banned in several European countries.
See more about Red 40 →Yellow 6Very Bad
Petroleum-derived artificial dye (Sunset Yellow) linked to allergic reactions, hyperactivity, and potential carcinogenicity.
See more about Yellow 6 →Yellow 5Very Bad
Petroleum-derived artificial dye (Tartrazine) — one of the most controversial food dyes still permitted in the US.
See more about Yellow 5 →Natural and Artificial FlavorsBad
Zero transparency. Artificial flavors are synthetic compounds with no nutritional value.
See more about Natural and Artificial Flavors →DextroseBad
Refined corn sugar added for flavor enhancement. Another processed sugar source stacked on top of maltodextrin.
See more about Dextrose →Processing
Ultra-Processed Foods
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