Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored

Name: Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored
Brand: Doritos

0Avoid

Breakdown

Ultra-processed · 5 contaminants flagged · 8 ingredients to avoid

100

Lab-measured contaminants

Measured against published safety limits

−100

glycidyl esters−57

3-mcpd−18

acrylamide−12

lead−8

cadmium−5

Ingredients

−85

canola−15

natural and artificial flavor−14

yellow 6−14

yellow 5−14

red 40−13

8 more deductions−15

Processing

−10

NOVA 4: ultra-processed−10

Adjustments

What it takes to land on the final number

+95

Minimum score+95

Final score0

Contaminants · 8

3 at/over limit

Measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Glycidyl Esters102 ppbof 6 ppb

Over the limit — 17×EU maximum level, Commission Reg. (EU) 2023/915 Annex I (point 5.3.3.2, carried over from Reg. (EU) 2020/1322) — glycidyl fatty acid esters expressed as glycidol, 6.0 ug/kg in liquid infant formula, follow-on formula and FSMP. Applied to all foods as the TIGHTEST published GE number. Looser EU levels not adopted: powdered infant formula 50 ug/kg; vegetable oils and fats placed on the market for the final consumer 1,000 ug/kg (500 ug/kg when destined for baby food).

3-mcpd43 ppbof 12 ppb

Over the limit — 3.6×EU maximum level, Commission Reg. (EU) 2023/915 Annex I as amended by Reg. (EU) 2024/1003 (point 5.3.3.2) — sum of 3-MCPD and 3-MCPD fatty acid esters expressed as 3-MCPD, 12 ug/kg in liquid infant formula, follow-on formula and FSMP (cut from 15). Applied to all foods as the TIGHTEST published 3-MCPD number. Looser EU levels not adopted: powdered infant formula 80 ug/kg; free 3-MCPD in hydrolysed vegetable protein and soy sauce 20 ug/kg; vegetable oils and fats for the final consumer 1,250 ug/kg.

Acrylamide53 ppbof 40 ppb

Over the limit — 1.3×EU benchmark level, Commission Reg. (EU) 2017/2158 Annex IV — 40 ug/kg for baby foods and processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children (other than biscuits and rusks), the tightest benchmark in the regulation. Applied to all foods as the TIGHTEST published acrylamide number. EU benchmarks are mitigation-performance indicators, not legal maximum levels; looser category benchmarks not adopted include potato crisps 750, crackers 400, biscuits and wafers 350, breakfast cereals 150-300, roast coffee 400 ug/kg. No FDA or EPA food concentration limit exists.

Lead4.03 ppbof 5 ppb

81% of the limitFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

Cadmium2.72 ppbof 5 ppb

54% of the limitFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

ArsenicNDof 10 ppb

Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.010 mg/L (= EPA MCL)

Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP)NDof 6 ppb

Not detectedUS EPA drinking-water MCL, 40 CFR 141.61(c) — 0.006 mg/L. Applied to all foods as the TIGHTEST published DEHP number; the EU food-contact limit is looser (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442: SML 0.6 mg/kg, plus the 0.6 mg/kg DEHP-equivalent group limit with DBP/BBP/DIBP).

MercuryNDof 2 ppb

Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.002 mg/L

Ingredients · 28

GoodCautionAvoid

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Common questions

Is Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored healthy?

Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored scores 0/100 on Tallow — our avoid band. That number comes from what is on the label: the ingredients, how processed it is, and what it is packaged in. It is not a verdict on your diet — Tallow does not weigh calories, portion size or how often you eat it, so a high score means the ingredients are clean, not that the food is unlimited.

What is in Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored?

Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored lists 28 ingredients, starting with Sunflower, Canola, Salt, Cheese Cultures and Enzymes. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few make up most of what you are eating.

Does Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored contain seed oils?

No. Nothing in Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored’s ingredient list matches a seed oil — canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, rice bran or peanut oil, or an unspecified "vegetable oil".

How processed is Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored?

Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored is NOVA group 4: ultra-processed. That is the top of the scale and the classification the score penalises most heavily.

How does Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored compare to other chips & crisps?

At 0/100 Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored scores worse than most chips & crisps we have scored. A higher-scoring option in chips & crisps is Late July Thin & Crispy Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips at 95/100.

Is Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored organic?

Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored is not certified organic in our data.

Has Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored been lab tested?

Yes. 8 substances in Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored have a laboratory result on file — see the Contaminants section above for each reading and the limit it was measured against.

Does Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored contain heavy metals?

Yes. A lab detected lead at 4.03 ppb against a 5 ppb limit and cadmium at 2.72 ppb against a 5 ppb limit in Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored. Every reading is under its limit. It also tested for arsenic and mercury and found none above its detection limit. Each reading is in the Contaminants section above.

Does Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored contain phthalates?

No. A lab tested Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored for DEHP and found none above its detection limit.

Full methodology: how we score products.