Key findings
- 1Cheese puffs require two industrial steps: extrusion of the corn base and manufacture of the cheese seasoning coating
- 2The cheese flavor comes from spray-dried cheese powder combined with MSG and maltodextrin, not from actual cheese
- 3In our analysis, cheese puff products average 26.4 ingredients, against three in plain corn chips (corn, oil, salt)
Why is Cheese Puffs ultra-processed on average?
Cheese puff production uses extrusion cooking: cornmeal is forced through a die at high temperature and pressure, causing it to expand into the characteristic puffy shape. This is the same industrial process used for most breakfast cereals. The puffs are then coated with a slurry of vegetable oil and seasoning powder. The cheese flavoring is not real cheese, and it is spray-dried cheese powder combined with maltodextrin (flavor carrier), MSG and its potentiators (disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), whey protein concentrate, and artificial colors like Yellow 6 for the bright orange coating.
How 507 cheese puffs products break down
Share of products at each processing level, in our analysis.
Cheese Puffs brand comparison
From least to most processed in our database.
How to read a cheese puffs label
- 1
The orange color comes from artificial colorings (Yellow 6) or annatto, not from cheese
- 2
Maltodextrin appears as a flavor carrier for the cheese seasoning powder
- 3
MSG is standard in cheese puffs, often alongside disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate as potentiators
- 4
"Cheese seasoning" is spray-dried cheese powder mixed with starches, oils, and flavor enhancers and not melted cheese
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Frequently asked questions
Are Cheetos ultra-processed?
The corn base is extruded at high temperature and pressure, then coated with a seasoning containing cheese powder, maltodextrin, MSG, artificial color (Yellow 6), and flavor enhancers. In our analysis, cheese puff products average a Processing Score of 11.6, which is Level 4; each Cheetos product page shows its own score.
What gives cheese puffs their orange color?
The bright orange color comes primarily from Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow) artificial food coloring and sometimes annatto extract. Real cheese would not produce such a vivid, uniform color. The coloring is part of the seasoning powder system.
Are baked cheese puffs less processed?
Baked versions may have slightly less oil, but the extrusion process and seasoning system, the main sources of processing, remain the same. Baked Cheetos carry a similar list of additives to regular Cheetos.