Course:FNH200/Assignments/2025/Lays Chips

Introduction

Lay's Classic & Lay's Baked Original (Less fat)

We chose Lay’s Classic and Lay’s Oven Baked chips because they’re both popular snacks but made in different ways, one is fried, the other is baked. This makes them interesting to compare, especially when it comes to ingredients and nutrition. We wanted to take a closer look at what’s actually in them and how they’re labeled. Our goal is to see how different processing methods affect things like fat, calories, and overall healthiness and whether the labels make that clear to shoppers.

Pictures of the Products

Image 1: Lay's Classic

Image 2: Lay's Baked Original

Ingredients List

Image 3: Ingredients & Nutrition facts of Lay's Classic

Image 4: Ingredients & Nutrition facts of Lay's Baked Original

1. Ingredients

Lay's Baked Original	Lay's Classic
Dehydrated potato flakes (includes: dehydrated potatoes, mono- and diglycerides, sodium pyrophosphate, citric acid, dextrose)	Potatoes
Corn starch	Vegetable oil (canola, corn, soybean, or sunflower)
Corn oil	Salt
Sugar
Sea Salt
Soy lecithin
Dextrose
Annatto extract

2. Substitutes & Additives used

	Lay's Baked Original	Lay's Classic
Sugar Substitutes	None	None
Fat Substitutes	None	None
Additives	Corn starch Soy lecithin Dextrose Annatto extract Mono- and diglycerides Sodium pyrophosphate Citric acid	None

Lay's Baked Original

• Sugar substitutes: None
• Fat substitutes: None

Additives:

• Corn starch: Corn starch in Lay’s Baked Original serves as a binder and structural base, replacing whole sliced potatoes. When combined with other ingredients and heated, it forms a gel-like substance that holds the chip together, allowing it to be molded into uniform shapes suitable for baking. This structure helps the chip hold its shape during processing and gives it that crispy texture. Corn starch also helps limit how much fat the chip absorbs, which supports its lower-fat appeal compared to traditional fried versions.
• Soy lecithin: Soy lecithin is a natural emulsifier derived from soybeans that helps stabilize oil‑in‑water mixtures during food processing. In Lay’s Baked chips, it ensures that the oil blends evenly with other ingredients, which leads to a smoother dough, more consistent texture, and reduced separation. Soy lecithin also helps improve shelf life by strengthening the barrier around oil droplets, which reduces moisture loss and keeps the product from going stale. Its ability to form stable emulsions has been widely recognized in research, making it a common ingredient in packaged foods to maintain quality over time.
• Dextrose: Dextrose plays an important role in baked snacks like Lay’s Baked chips by helping develop both their color and flavor. As a reducing sugar, it reacts easily with amino acids during baking, triggering the Maillard reaction, a process that gives the chips their golden-brown color and rich aroma. On top of that, dextrose adds a subtle sweetness that helps round out the overall flavor profile .
• Annatto extract: Annatto extract is a plant-based colorant made from the seeds of Bixa orellana, otherwise known as the Achiote plant, commonly used to give foods a warm golden-orange color. Because it doesn’t affect the flavor, it’s especially useful in baked foods like Lay’s Baked chips. Its main pigments, bixin and norbixin, are known for staying stable under heat, which means the chips keep their appealing color even after baking.
• Mono- and diglycerides: These emulsifiers help keep oil and water from separating during processing. They improve the consistency of the potato flakes and contribute to a uniform texture in the final chip.
• Sodium pyrophosphate: This additive prevents discolouration in the potato flakes by stabilizing their natural color, especially during storage and heating.
• Citric acid: Used as a mild preservative and antioxidant, citric acid helps protect the flavor of the chips and extends their shelf life

Lay's Classic

• Sugar substitutes: None
• Fat substitutes: None
• Additives: None

5. Comparison of Ingredients

Comparison below focuses on similar ingredients used in both packages. Information for additives can be found above.

Lay’s Classic Ingredient	Lay’s Baked Original Ingredient (less fat)	Comparison	Contrast
Potatoes	Dehydrated Potato Flakes	Both products stem from the exact same vegetable and are a great carb source of Vitamin C and Potassium.	While indifferent in nutritional value, the choice of dehydrated potato flakes offers different advantages to suppliers. Such as a longer shelf life, faster processing speed, and easier transportation.
Vegetable Oil	Corn Oil	Both products are great uses for preparing potato chips due to their flavor enhancing qualities and contribute to a crispy texture.	Corn oil has a slightly higher smoke point which is ideal for a product that is to be baled rather than fried. Vegetable oil on the other hand, has a neutral flavor - ideal for a classic potato chip.
Salt	Sea Salt	The use of salt for potato chips increases palatability for end consumers while also contributing to the chips crispiness due to its ability to draw out moisture.	Regular table salt is more processed than sea salt and differs in flavor, texture, and size. Sea salt possesses bigger flakes and originates from the evaporation of seawater whereas table salt is mined from salt deposits and fortified with iodine.

Labels

	Lay’s Classic Potato Chips & Lay’s Oven Baked Original Potato Chips
Common Name	Commonly known as Lay’s Classic Potato Chips and Lay’s Oven Baked Original Potato Chips. These names clearly describe the product’s nature and preparation method (fried vs. baked).
Bilingualism	Both products follow Canadian labeling regulations and provide all mandatory information in English and French, much like a bilingual road sign guiding both English and French-speaking travelers.
Country of Origin	The packaging does not clearly list the country of origin, which is not mandatory for these types of snack foods. However, they are manufactured by Frito Lay Canada, a division of PepsiCo.
Date Markings & Storage Instructions	There is a best before date typically printed at the top/back of the bag, just above the seal. The chips should be stored in a cool, dry place, and once opened, it’s best to seal tightly or transfer to an airtight container to maintain crispness
Name & Principle Place of Business	The products are distributed by PepsiCo Foods Canada, located in Mississauga, Ontario.
Legibility & Location	The font on both packages is clear and easy to read. Products are widely available across Canada in major retail chains like Walmart.
Net Quantity	The net weight of both Lay's Classic Original and Lay's Classic Baked is 66g as listed in the Nutrition Facts Table.
Nutrition Facts	The Nutrition Facts are clearly labelled as requred. Can be seen in Image 3 & 4
Irradiation	Neither product has undergone irradiation, so this information is not present on the labels.
List of Ingredients and Allergens	List of ingredients can bee seen in Image 3 & 4 Lay's Classic Baked lists Soy; Lay's Classic has no allergens listed. The allergens specified by Lay's Classic Baked are bolded to make it easily identifiable.
Sweeteners	Clearly identified in Ingredients List section, and can bee seen in Image 3 & 4
Food Additives	Clearly identified in Ingredients List section, and can bee seen in Image 3 & 4
Claim and Statements	Lay’s Baked: May include health-related claims like “65% less fat than regular chips” or “baked, not fried”, emphasizing the lower-fat preparation. Lay’s Classic: Makes no health-related claims.

References

Please use the Wikipedia reference style. Provide a citation for every sentence, statement, thought, or bit of data not your own, giving the author, year, AND page.

This Food Science resource was created by Course:FNH200.