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Lay's Poppables honey BBQ
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Salty snacks

Lay's Poppables honey BBQ

5 oz

Bad out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in salt
  • Contains non-nutritive sweeteners
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains seed oils
  • No synthetic dyes
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Why it scores 17

Lay's Poppables honey BBQ scores 17 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Honey: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Sugar: 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

Poppables honey BBQ

START100

Ingredients

  • Honey
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Brown sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [4]
  • 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), flavor enhancer, flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate and non-nutritive sweetener. [4]
subtotal−24

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Saturated fat 3.6 g / 100 g
    Strong High in saturated fat. [5]
  • Salt 1.8 g / 100 g
    Strong High in salt. [6]
  • Energy 536 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
  • Fiber 3.6 g / 100 g
    Strong A good source of fiber. [2]
subtotal−9
TOTAL 17Bad

100 − 83 = 17

Can’t score above 79. Contains honey, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]

Can’t score above 79. High in fat and salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [7]

GTIN 00028400674744 · 2023-11-16

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy536 kcal
Fat28.6 g
Saturated fat3.6 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates60.7 g
Sugars3.6 g
Fiber3.6 g
Protein3.6 g
Salt1.8 g

Serving: 28g

Ingredients

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

DRIED POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (SUNFLOWER, CORN, AND/OR CANOLA OIL), POTATO STARCH, HONEY BBQ SEASONING (SUGAR, SALT, MALTODEXTRIN [MADE FROM CORN), SPICES, ONION POWDER, YEAST EXTRACT, BROWN SUGAR, TOMATO POWDER, NATURAL FLAVOR, HONEY, MOLASSES, PAPRIKA EXTRACTS, SUNFLOWER OIL, GARLIC POWDER, CITRIC ACID, PURIFIED STEVIA LEAF EXTRACT), SEA SALT, AND TURMERIC.

Allergens and diets

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  5. Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline

    World Health Organization · Jul 17, 2023 · Agency assessment

    “WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”

    who.int

  6. Sodium reduction (fact sheet)

    World Health Organization · May 11, 2026 · Agency assessment

    “For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”

    who.int

  7. Guide to creating a front of pack (FoP) nutrition label for pre-packed products sold through retail outlets

    Department of Health and Social Care / Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK) · Nov 8, 2016 · Regulator

    “Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”

    assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline

    World Health Organization · May 15, 2023 · Agency assessment

    “The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.”

    who.int

  11. 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

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

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  13. 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