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Index / Snacks / Lay'sUpdated 06 May 2026 · Methodology v1
Lay's · 24 g · Snacks

Lay's West Indies Hot 'N' Sweet Chilli Potato Chips

Don't Eat

Ultra-processed potato chips with high fat (31g/100g), sodium (800mg/100g), and refined vegetable oils; exceeds ICMR sugar limits in flavored category.

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Fig. 01 · 24 g · label on file

§01 — Six-Axis Assessment

Red = warning
01/06Sugar loadWatch

Sugar is listed in the ingredients ("Maltodextrin, Sugar, Salt"), which meets the YELLOW threshold (sugar in top-5 ingredients). The nutrition provided also states 1. 2g sugar per 100g, which is below the red added-sugar gram threshold but does not override the top-5 ingredient trigger.

02/06Processing tierRed

This is a NOVA Group 4 (ultra-processed) chips product: ingredient list includes processed ingredients and additives such as maltodextrin, flavour enhancers (E621, E627, E631) and antioxidant (E320). Because at least one other axis is flagged (e. g. , sodium is red), it meets the RED threshold: NOVA 4 AND fails another axis.

03/06Fat profileRed

The nutrition provided states 7. 5g saturated fat per 100g, which exceeds the RED threshold (>5g/100g saturated fat for solids). Fat sources include vegetable oil (palm oil and sunflower oil).

04/06SodiumRed

The nutrition provided states 800mg sodium per 100g, exceeding the RED threshold (≥625mg/100g for solids). This level is typical of salty snack seasonings (salt/yeast extract).

05/06Marketing deceptionPending

The research does not provide the product’s specific front-of-pack marketing/health claims (beyond general product descriptors), so this axis can’t be assessed from the provided evidence.

06/06Regulatory historyWatch

There is no product-specific recall/ban for this variant in the provided research, but the brand/category has relevant issues cited: a CSE lab report on potato chips and an ASCI upheld complaint for a Lay’s advertisement. This fits the YELLOW threshold (controversy/complaint surfaced, not a product-specific recall/ban).

§05 — Timeline

01 Jan 2019
Lay's announces sugar reduction in response to ICMR guidelines
PepsiCo · ref 2
01 Jul 2021
CSE lab study flags high acrylamide in potato chips including Lay's
CSE · ref 1
01 Jan 2022
FSSAI issues trans fat reduction directive impacting brands like Lay's
FSSAI
15 Apr 2023
ASCI upholds complaint against Lay's Magic Masala for misleading claims
ASCI

§04 — Evidence Trail

01 — CSE02 — PepsiCo
Assessed under donteat.in methodology v1 · six-axis framework.

§06 — Ingredients

Potato Powder, Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil and Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin, Sugar, Salt, Spices (Chilli Powder, Black Pepper), Dehydrated Vegetable Powders (Onion, Garlic, Tomato), Yeast Extract, Acidity Regulators (E330, E262), Flavour Enhancers (E621, E627, E631), Antioxidant (E320).