
Cheetos
Flavor:
Baked Crunchy Flamin' Hot® Cheese
Ingredients:
Enriched Corn Meal (Corn Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil), Salt, Sea Minerals (Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Carbonate), Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Yeast extracts, Citric Acid, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow #6, Yellow #5), Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Onion Powder, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Whey Protein Concentrate, Garlic Powder, Buttermilk, Natural Flavor, Sodium Diacetate, Lactic Acid, Disodium inosinate, Disodium guanylate, and Skim Milk.
Rating: We Avoid
- 1 out of 5
Ingredient Score:

Rated at 1/5 green leaves, the Cheetos Baked Crunchy Flamin’ Hot® Cheese snack falls short of cleaner food standards set by our website. This low rating reflects the numerous concerns regarding its ingredients and overall health impact.
The product is not organic, which is a significant factor in its evaluation. Organic foods are often preferred for their lack of pesticides and more sustainable farming practices. The Cheetos in question also contain genetically modified (GMO) ingredients, which some consumers opt to avoid due to environmental and health considerations.
Added sugars are another point of contention. The inclusion of sugar and citric acid contributes to the product’s low score, as excessive sugar intake is linked to various health issues. Additionally, the snack features several potentially harmful additives. ‘Natural Flavor’ and ‘Flavor’ are ambiguous terms that don’t disclose the actual contents, leaving consumers in the dark about what they are ingesting. Artificial colors, such as Yellow 6 and Red 40, are also used, which are controversial due to concerns over their safety and necessity.
Known harmful additives like maltodextrin and monosodium glutamate (MSG) further detract from the product’s health profile. Maltodextrin, a processed sugar, and MSG, a flavor enhancer, are criticized for their potential health impacts. The artificial colors Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40 are repeated offenders, linked to health and behavioral issues in some studies.
The use of certain oils, specifically canola and unspecified vegetable oils, is another reason for the product’s low rating. These oils can be highly processed and may contain unhealthy fats.
The Cheetos Baked Crunchy Flamin’ Hot® Cheese snack, with its non-organic status, GMO ingredients, added sugars, and a multitude of potentially and known harmful additives and oils, receives the lowest possible green leaf rating on our scale. This assessment aligns with our commitment to guiding consumers toward cleaner and healthier food choices, and we recommend looking for alternatives that better align with these principles.
Certifications:
None
Product formulations and certifications may change. For current nutrition facts and ingredient
line information, check product packaging.
Categories:
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