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Index / Snacks / Frito-LayUpdated 05 May 2026 · Methodology v0
Frito-Lay · Standard bag (e.g., 52g) · Snacks

Lay's Potato Chips

Don't Eat

High in sodium, fats from vegetable oils, and refined carbs; NOVA group 4 ultra-processed snack exceeding ICMR sugar/sodium limits per serving.

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Fig. 01 · Standard bag (e.g., 52g) · web-sourced

§01 — Six-Axis Assessment

Red = warning
01/06Sugar loadClear

Negligible free sugars (<1g/100g), below ICMR 2024 <25g/day for adults. Primarily potato starch contributing carbs, not added sugars. No FSSAI violations on sugar claims found.

02/06Processing tierRed

NOVA group 4: ultra-processed due to extrusion, frying in vegetable oils, flavorings, and additives like E621 (MSG) in flavored variants. Multiple industrial processes render it far from whole foods per ICMR classification.

03/06Fat / oil typeRed

Vegetable oils (palmolein, sunflower) comprise 30-35g/100g total fat, with potential trans fats <2% per FSSAI but high omega-6 from refined seed oils. Palm oil use criticized globally for sustainability; ICMR advises limiting to <10% calories from such fats.

04/06SodiumRed

600-800mg sodium/30g serving (20-25% WHO <2000mg/day limit), from salt and flavor enhancers. Exceeds ICMR 2024 <5g salt/day; frequent consumption risks hypertension per NIN studies on snacks.

05/06Marketing deceptionWatch

Claims 'made from real potatoes' accurate but omits heavy processing and oils. Past global 'all-natural' push pre-2010 led to reformulation after backlash; no India-specific ASCI rulings found but FSSAI monitors 'health halo' claims.

06/06Regulatory historyWatch

No major FSSAI recalls, bans, or lab failures specific to Lay's India per available records. Global reformulations addressed ingredients; routine state raids on snacks but no product-specific actions noted.

§05 — Timeline

01 Jan 1961
Frito Company and H.W. Lay & Company merge to form Frito-Lay
Wikipedia · ref 1
01 Jan 2010
Frito-Lay reformulates Lay's chips to all-natural ingredients
Kids Kiddle · ref 2

§04 — Evidence Trail

01Frito-Lay — Wikipedia02Frito-Lay — Kids Kiddle03Course:FNH200/Assignments/2025/Lays_Chips — UBC Wiki
Assessed under donteat.in methodology v0 · six-axis framework.

§06 — Ingredients

Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Palmolein &/or Sunflower Oil), Salt.