Sweet Chilli Crisps — DUMP

Munch or Dump rates Sweet Chilli Crisps by Marks And Spencer DUMP — score 17/90.

'Hand cooked' conjures a copper kettle and a craftsman; the seasoning was clearly built in a flavor lab. Sugar, maltodextrin, yeast extract, unspecified 'flavouring' and five separate extracts dusted onto fried potatoes — 18 ingredients for what a spice rack does in six. Premium price, industrial formula.

Why this verdict

• 18-ingredient list on a potato crisp — right at the strongly-processed threshold
• Sugar is the third ingredient — a dessert-level sweetness system on a savory snack
• Maltodextrin + yeast extract is a classic industrial flavor-carrier-and-enhancer pairing (yeast extract is free glutamate, MSG's quieter cousin)
• Unspecified 'flavouring' plus herb, capsicum, and chilli extracts — the taste is assembled from isolates, not from the named foods
• Fried in refined sunflower oil with high salt — standard crisp downsides on top of the engineered seasoning

Ingredients (18)

• potatoes (safe) — Whole potato base - a real food.
• Sunflower Oil (moderate) — Refined seed oil; fine in the modest amounts used here.
• Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
• Salt (moderate) — Used in moderation, might exceed necessary amount.
• Maltodextrin (moderate) — Highly processed starch-derived carbohydrate used as a carrier and texturizer; spikes blood sugar readily.
• dried garlic (safe) — Real garlic, dehydrated for shelf life.
• dried onions (safe) — Real aromatic; standard seasoning.
• Ground Spices (Ginger, Coriander, Star Anise, Cumin) (safe) — Genuine spices — the one genuinely good part of the seasoning.
• Dried Tomatoes (safe) — Real dried tomato for colour and flavour.
• YEAST EXTRACT (moderate) — A hidden source of free glutamate, stacked with MSG for umami.
• citric acid (safe) — Acidity and tartness adjuster.
• Paprika Extract (Colour) (safe) — Natural pigment, not an artificial dye.
• flavouring (moderate) — Undisclosed flavor blend.
• Herb extract (safe) — Flavouring in tiny amounts, not a health concern.
• Capsicum Extract (safe) — Pepper extract for heat and flavour; benign.
• Chilli Extract (safe) — Concentrated chilli for the 'sweet chilli' heat; benign.
• Dried Oregano (safe) — Natural herb seasoning.
• chilli powder (safe) — Natural heat and flavor.