Most Processed Chips & Crisps
Each product is ranked by its own Processing Score, highest first. To keep the list from being one company's catalog, it shows at most two products from any one brand.
Chips & Crisps by the Numbers
We scored every chips & crisps product in our database: 11,614 items across 1,109 brands. In our analysis, about 47% land in the Highly or Ultra-Processed tiers.
What should you look for on the label?
- Plain salted chips (potatoes, oil, salt) score lowest, the simplest option in the category
- Flavored chips with "seasoning blend" typically contain 10+ hidden sub-ingredients
- "Natural flavors" in chips is not the same as natural. It is an industrial extract
- Kettle-cooked chips use the same ingredients as regular but a different cooking method
Least Processed Chips & Crisps
For context, here are the top 5 of the opposite ranking, the least processed chips & crisps in our analysis.
Ketzal for iPhone
Find The Swap For What You Already Buy.
Scan a product you use and Ketzal suggests less processed options from the same category.
Find My Swap
How are products scored?
Every product is evaluated using two independent scores. The Processing Score (lower is better) measures the degree of industrial processing based on ingredient analysis, including the presence of artificial additives, preservatives, and highly modified ingredients. The Nutrition Score (higher is better) rates overall nutritional quality, rewarding protein and fiber while penalizing excess sodium, added sugars, and saturated fat.
Products are assigned to one of four processing levels: Minimal (score ≤ 2.5), Processed (2.6 to 5.0), Highly Processed (5.1 to 8.0), and Ultra-Processed (above 8.0). Each product in the ranking is placed by its own Processing Score, not by its brand. Based on our analysis of 445K+ curated products from the USDA FoodData Central database. For a deeper look, see our Processing Score guide and Two-Score System explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are flavored chips so much more processed?
Flavored chips add seasoning blends that contain maltodextrin, autolyzed yeast extract (MSG alternative), artificial colors, modified food starch, and multiple dairy derivatives. A "nacho cheese" chip can have 20+ ingredients vs 3 for plain.
Are baked chips less processed?
Baked chips use less oil but often add more starches, emulsifiers, and seasonings to achieve acceptable texture, making them similarly or more processed than regular fried chips.
What makes Pringles different from regular chips?
Pringles are not sliced from potatoes. They are formed from dried potato flakes, corn starch, and wheat starch, making them a reconstituted product rather than a simple fried potato slice.