Do Doritos use artificial and harmful additives in its products? No. All ingredients are approved and safe.

Doritos, owned by PepsiCo, is known for its wide variety of tortilla chips. It was introduced in the United States in 1964. The chips are made from corn and coated with spice blends. Doritos are widely consumed as a packaged snack worldwide. 

But recently, social media users have raised concerns about the safety of consuming Doritos. The claim suggests that Doritos uses artificial cheese instead of real ones and also contains harmful additives like maltodextrin, disodium inosinate etc.

However, Fact Crescendo found the claim to be misleading. All the ingredients mentioned in the post are found to be safe upon consumption and have been approved to be used in foods.

Facebook | Archive

Fact Check- 

What are the ingredients in Doritos Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips?

Doritos contains many ingredients including Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Romano Cheese (Part-Skim Cow’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Artificial Color (Including Yellow 6, Yellow 5, and Red 40), and Disodium Inosinate as mentioned in the viral video. 

Does Doritos use artificial cheddar powder?

The list of ingredients in Doritos contains two types of cheese- cheddar cheese and romano cheese. As per an information, these cheeses are dehydrated and turned into powder to form a vase for cheese flavor in Doritos. Further, other ingredients like whey, buttermilk, salt and flavor enhancers etc are added to it. 

So, original cheeses are added to Doritos and not artificial, but are mixed with other ingredients to give a unique flavor.

On 13 October 2025, the New York Post reported that PepsiCo had declared that it will soon release a new version of Doritos which will be without artificial colors and flavors. It will not contain petroleum-based dyes like Red 40 or Yellow 6 which gives the product its color. 

Maltodextrin: 

According to reports, Maltodextrin has a higher glycemic index than normal sugar. This results in a sharp spike in people’s blood sugar shortly after they eat foods that contain it. This can cause serious issues for people with diabetes. It was also suggested after a study that people who consume maltodextrin may have a reduced number of good bacteria and an increased quantity of harmful bacteria which can lead to intestine damage.

However, the FDA considers Maltodextrin as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) substance. It had permitted the use of maltodextrin as a thickener or texturizer, stabilizer, flavoring agent or carrier, nutrient supplement or sweetener substitute. It is considered safe for use under current food-additive regulations.

Disodium Inosinate: 

Disodium Inosinate or E631 is a food additive that is commercially prepared by the bacterial fermentation of sugar and can also be prepared from meat or fish. It is a sodium salt of inosinate acid that is mainly present in animals. It is used to enhance the flavour of packaged food. 

The FDA permits its use under the regulation, provided it meets purity criteria and is used only in amounts which have been approved to achieve the flavour. It is used as an additive and not a major nutrient. 

UK’s Food Standards Agency have also listed Disodium inosinate (E631) as an approved additive to be used in foods. 

Conclusion: 

Fact Crescendo found the claim to be misleading. Doritos contain real cheese that are dehydrated and then mixed with other ingredients to produce seasoning. Other ingredients in Doritos are approved and safe.