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Food

Lay's T

Poor out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Dye with an EU warning label
  • Contains synthetic dyes
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains seed oils
  • Contains artificial flavors
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Why it scores 25

Lay's T scores 25 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Dextrose: An added sugar. Strong
  3. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong

Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.

Better potato chips

The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.

The Receipt

T

START100

Ingredients

  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Dextrose
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Yellow 6
    Regulatory In the EU and UK, foods with this color must state that it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children". [4][5][6][7][8]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [9]
  • 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavor enhancer, flavoring, industrial protein and industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate. [9]
subtotal−25.5

Nutrition

  • Nutrition facts unavailable
    Info No nutrition facts on file, so nutrition was not scored.
subtotal0
TOTAL 25Poor

100 − 75.5 = 24.5 → 25

Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][10]

Can’t score above 79. No nutrition facts on file, so we can't confirm excellent.

GTIN 00028400232005 · 2022-08-07

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.
Label text, as published

dried potatoes, corn starch, corn oil, sugar, sea salt, soy lecithin, dextrose, and annatto extracts contains soy ingredients, baked cheetos crunchy cheese flavored snacks ingredients: enriched corn meal (corn meal, ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (corn, canola, and/or sunflower oil), whey, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), maltodextrin (made from corn), natural and artificial flavors, salt, whey protein concentrate, monosodium glutamate, lactic acid, citric acid, and artificial color (yellow 6), contains milk ingredients, baked ruffles cheddar , sour cream flavored potato crisps ingredients: dried potatoes, corn starch, corn oil, sugar, maltodextrin (made from corn), salt, soy lecithin, dextrose, whey, whey protein concentrate, onion powder, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), monosodium glutamate, blue cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), citric acid, artificial color (yellow 6 lake, yellow 5 lake, yellow 5, yellow 6), skim milk, natural and artificial flavors, garlic powder, lactic acid, disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate, contains milk and soy ingredients, lay's ceelos ruffles baked baked baked ba 65% 65% less fat 50% less fat 65% less fat - than deoular potato chips han segolar potaro chips than begwlar ches e flavored snacsa barbecue 28 30050337

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy

  • Not vegan
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

More from Lay's

Sources

  1. Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children

    World Health Organization · Mar 4, 2015 · Agency assessment

    “In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”

    who.int

  2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture · January 2026 · Regulator

    “Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

    cdn.realfood.gov

  3. Added and free sugars should be as low as possible

    European Food Safety Authority · Feb 28, 2022 · Agency assessment

    “Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  4. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of 16 December 2008 on food additives

    European Union (Official Journal) · Dec 16, 2008 · Law

    “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”

    eur-lex.europa.eu

  5. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 (as it applies in the UK), Annex V: food colours requiring additional labelling

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · Law

    “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”

    legislation.gov.uk

  6. Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial

    The Lancet · November 2007 · Peer-reviewed

    “Artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population.”

    doi.org

  7. Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum Based Food Dyes

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Regulator

    “FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, and FD&C Blue No. 2—by the end of 2027.”

    fda.gov

  8. California AB 2316 (2024), Pupil nutrition: substances: prohibition

    California Legislative Information · Sep 28, 2024 · Law

    “beginning December 31, 2027, would prohibit a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school”

    leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

  9. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  10. 21 CFR 74.705 FD&C Yellow No. 5

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Dec 29, 2016 · Law

    “shall specifically declare the presence of FD&C Yellow No. 5 by listing the color additive as FD&C Yellow No. 5 among the list of ingredients.”

    ecfr.gov

  11. HHS, FDA to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes in Nation’s Food Supply (press release)

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Apr 22, 2025 · Regulator

    “Initiating the process to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—within the coming months.”

    fda.gov

  12. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

    BMJ · Feb 28, 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”

    doi.org

  13. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake

    Cell Metabolism · July 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  14. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73)

    BMJ · Apr 12, 2016 · Peer-reviewed

    “replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”

    doi.org

  15. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  16. Dietary Linoleic Acid and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

    Circulation · Oct 28, 2014 · Peer-reviewed

    “These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”

    doi.org