For a night in with friends, start by choosing a flavour everyone wants to eat: a cheese recipe for those who enjoy that taste, or a chilli or mild chilli option if the group fancies something with a kick. The flavour name doesn’t tell you how hot it is. Check the ingredients and allergens on the exact pack, then compare the nutritional information per 100 g.
If everyone has different tastes in front of the screen, a flavour people will enjoy matters more than an unusual name. Doritos and French retailers offer assortments that include cheese recipes. Check the ingredients if anyone in your group avoids dairy.
Chilli, mild chilli, fajita and taco are all distinct flavour profiles. The ranges featured by Doritos and Auchan don’t provide a common scale for judging how hot a flavour is from its name alone.
If someone needs to avoid an ingredient, check the pack before choosing a flavour. Cheese options featured by Carrefour, Auchan and Old El Paso contain dairy ingredients; precautionary statements about possible traces vary by product.
When choosing a bag to share, first settle on a flavour and check any dietary requirements. The pack size and how you plan to serve the chips can then help you choose between the options that suit your group.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Group flavour preference | The flavour shown on the pack; with chilli or mild chilli, don’t assume the heat will be the same across brands. | When several people are sharing, I want to avoid choosing a flavour that’s too hot for some. Around 33% of consumers put finding a flavour the group agrees on first. |
| Bag size | The net weight and number of people; think about how you’ll reseal an opened bag. | If there are only a few of us, I’d rather choose an amount that suits us than leave a bag open. Bag size is the top priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Allergens and gluten | The ingredients, any ‘may contain’ statements and, if needed, the ‘gluten-free’ label on the exact product. | If someone needs to avoid an ingredient, I need to be able to check each pack before serving it. This is the first thing around 20% of consumers check. |
| Dips and serving | The flavour you plan to serve with the dip and the storage instructions once opened. | If we’re serving the chips with a dip during the film, I want to avoid opening the bag too early. Around 20% of consumers prioritise planning how to serve them. |
Cheese options featured by Carrefour, Doritos, Old El Paso and Auchan contain dairy ingredients. Other allergens may also appear in precautionary statements about possible traces.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you’re choosing: the fact that it’s made with corn and the flavour name aren’t enough.
A large bag won’t necessarily suit a small group, especially if some of it is likely to be left after the film.
Compare the net weights and check the storage instructions if you won’t finish the bag.
These names describe flavours, but they don’t provide a consistent way to compare how hot different recipes are.
If people in the group have different preferences, pair the more strongly flavoured option with another choice that suits everyone’s dietary needs.
A product with this label may still contain milk or flag other possible allergens.
Check the ingredients you need to avoid separately on the flavour and pack size you’re buying.
The French Doritos range includes flavours such as Nacho Cheese, Sweet Chilli Pepper, Paprika and Mexican Taco.
Old El Paso offers cheese-flavoured tortilla chips and identifies some other products in its French range as gluten-free.
Carrefour offers flavoured tortilla chips under this brand, including a cheese-flavoured option.
Auchan’s French range includes cheese-flavoured tortilla chips.
Aldi’s French website features SUN SNACKS® tortilla chips in plain and chilli varieties.
These options let you compare chilli, sour cream, paprika and fajita flavours for a night in. Choose according to your group’s tastes, then check the ingredients on the exact pack if anyone has dietary requirements.
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A chilli flavour to consider if your group would like a recipe described as mild. The bag contains 160 g. ‘Mild’ isn’t a measure you can use to compare its heat with another recipe. Check the allergen information on the exact pack.
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Another chilli recipe to consider for sharing, with or without a dip depending on your group’s preferences. The bag contains 185 g. The name doesn’t tell you how its heat compares with Doritos Mild Chili Pepper; check the allergen information on this product too.
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Sour cream offers a different option from chilli flavours for anyone who prefers it. The bag contains 160 g. If anyone in your group has dietary requirements, check for milk and other allergen information on the pack.
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Worth considering if your group would prefer paprika to a chilli flavour. The bag contains 160 g; the seasoning name alone doesn’t tell you how strong the flavour is. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you choose.
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A fajita flavour to consider if your group would like something different from chilli. The bag contains 185 g. Don’t judge how hot it is from the name alone. Check the allergens and any ‘gluten-free’ statement on this exact pack, rather than relying on information for another product in the range.
Plan to serve a second flavour rather than relying on ‘mild chilli’ to suit everyone. Chilli, mild chilli and fajita aren’t part of a shared scale for measuring heat across products.
Don’t assume they are: the cheese options featured by Carrefour, Doritos, Old El Paso and Auchan contain milk or dairy ingredients. Read the ingredients and any precautionary statements about traces on the exact pack before choosing it.
No. Check the ingredients and any precautionary statements for each product. Old El Paso labels some products in its French range as ‘gluten-free’, while the Doritos Nacho Cheese product featured by Auchan says it may contain wheat (gluten).
Compare the nutritional values per 100 g, then take the portion you’ll serve into account. The French Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control says that nutrition declarations for relevant foods use this basis. This lets you compare energy, fat, saturates, sugars and salt on a like-for-like basis.
Reseal the bag carefully after opening and follow its storage instructions. Auchan recommends resealing its cheese-flavoured tortilla chips to keep them crisp. If you’re serving a dip, open the bag when you’re ready to serve rather than well in advance.