Food
Clancy's Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips
Score
- Dye with an EU warning label
- Contains synthetic dyes
- Ultra-processed
- High in salt
- Contains added sugars
- Contains seed oils
- Contains artificial flavors
Why it scores 18
Clancy's Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips scores 18 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Lactose: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points 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 tortilla chips
-
Nacho Cheese Late July · 7.8 oz No EU warning-label dyes · No synthetic dyes Score 58 out of 100 , 40 points higher -
Mucho nacho cheese tortilla chips Paqui · 7 oz No EU warning-label dyes · No synthetic dyes Score 63 out of 100 , 45 points higher -
Tortilla Chips Nacho Siete · 142 g No EU warning-label dyes · No synthetic dyes Score 79 out of 100 , 61 points higher -
Grain Free Tortilla Chips Nacho Siete · 1 oz No EU warning-label dyes · No synthetic dyes Score 79 out of 100 , 61 points higher -
Nacho Vibes Chickpea Tortilla Chips Hippeas No EU warning-label dyes · No synthetic dyes Score 65 out of 100 , 47 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Lactose minus 20 points
- Dextrose minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 4.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Saturated fat 3.6 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Salt 1.9 g / 100 g minus 7 points
- Energy 464 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
- Fiber 3.6 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 82.5 = 17.5 → 18
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
Can’t score above 79. High in fat and salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [14]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 464 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 25 g |
| Saturated fat | 3.6 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 57.1 g |
| Sugars | 3.6 g |
| Added sugars | 3.6 g |
| Fiber | 3.6 g |
| Protein | 7.1 g |
| Salt | 1.9 g |
Serving: 1 portion (28 g)
Ingredients
- whole grain corn
- vegetable oil
- corn
- canola
- sunflower
- tomato seasoning
- sugar (high concern)
- salt
- maltodextrin
- whey
- cheddar cheese
- cultured milk
- salt
- enzymes
- buttermilk
- onion powder
- lactose (high concern)
- dextrose (high concern)
- tomato powder
- corn starch
- tomato fiber
- natural and artificial flavor
- citric acid
- monosodium glutamate
- artificial color
- yellow 6 (high concern)
- yellow 5 (high concern)
- red 40 (high concern)
- lactic acid
- sodium diacetate
- sodium inosinate
- sodium guanylate
- disodium phosphate
- turmeric oleoresin
Label text, as published
whole grain corn, vegetable oil, corn, canola, sunflower, tomato seasoning, sugar, salt, maltodextrin, whey, cheddar cheese, cultured milk, salt, enzymes, buttermilk, onion powder, lactose, dextrose, tomato powder, corn starch, tomato fiber, natural and artificial flavor, citric acid, monosodium glutamate, artificial color, yellow 6, yellow 5, red 40, lactic acid, sodium diacetate, sodium inosinate, sodium guanylate, disodium phosphate, turmeric oleoresin
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk
- Not vegan
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
Sources
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Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
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Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
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Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
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Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline
“WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”
who.int
-
“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
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Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of 16 December 2008 on food additives
“may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
“may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
legislation.gov.uk
-
“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
-
Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum Based Food Dyes
“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
-
California AB 2316 (2024), Pupil nutrition: substances: prohibition
“beginning December 31, 2027, would prohibit a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
-
21 CFR 74.705 FD&C Yellow No. 5
“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
-
List of Select Chemicals in the Food Supply Under FDA Review
“The table below includes select food ingredients (including food and color additives), food contact substances, and contaminants under FDA review as of May 12, 2026 .”
fda.gov
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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HHS, FDA to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes in Nation’s Food Supply (press release)
“Initiating the process to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—within the coming months.”
fda.gov
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“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
-
“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
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org