Summary feedback
Haldiram’s is one of India’s most popular brand of sweets and namkeens. The product is made of besan or gram flour along with rice flakes and masoor dal which is deep fried in vegetable oil.
In India fried snacks such as these are eaten in large quantities by kids and adults alike with no attention being paid to the food label, as a result there is a pile up of calories which leads to childhood obesity in kids and lifestyle diseases.
The foodnetindia rating for this product :-
foodnetindia safety rating: 3 – (On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unsafe to very safe)
This product has high salt content of 94 mg per 60 gm serving pack. High salt consumption is linked to high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases.
foodnetindia wholesomeness rating: 4 – (On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unbalanced nutrition profile to excellent nutrition profile)
The product has wholesome bengal gram flour and is fried in refined palmolein oil which altogether add wholesomeness to the product. Unlike most other vegetable oils, palmolein is primarily saturated fat, it is better suited for cooking. It does not have too much PUFA, which can get oxidized under heat and is rendered toxic. Bengal gram is the primary ingredient in this food, which makes it a generally healthy and wholesome choice when eaten in small quantities.
A ruling from the European Food Safety Authority said that palm oil is a ‘potential health concern’ when improperly processed. The safety authority said that current levels of glycerol-based process contaminants found in palm oil are ‘potential health concern’. Animal studies have identified these contaminants, which are formed when vegetable oils are heated to high temperatures and then refined, as both genotoxic (damaging to DNA) and carcinogenic (causing cancer). Of all vegetable oils, palm oil was found to have the highest levels of these contaminants. At high levels of exposure, these contaminants are a health hazard for all age groups, the authority concluded, expressing particular concern for infants, toddlers and children under the age of 10.
Ingredients of concern in Haldiram’s Khatta Meetha
Sugar
This food product does not specify which sugar has been used. This is important because different sugars have different metabolic effects. For example, Sucrose (Cane Sugar) is very different from Fructose (Fruit Sugar). Some foods use high fructose corn syrup which may be harmful in much lower quantities than sucrose. We believe that it is not responsible behaviour for a brand to not clearly state what ingredients have been used.
Salt
High sodium diets have been known to be the cause of high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. The recommended daily intake of salt is between 1-3 grams.
Other ingredients that are in the product but not a major source of concern in our opinion are:
Ingredients
- Refined Palmolein Oil
- Rice Flakes (22%)
- Bengal Gram Flour (Besan ) (21%)
- Split Pulse Bengal Gram (Chana Dal) (7%)
- Ground Nut (Peanuts) (5%)
- Sago (4%)
- Red Lentils (Masur Whole ) (2.5%)
- Green Peas (2%)
- Black Salt
- Red Chilli
- Acidity Regulator & Antioxidant (E330)
- Turmeric
Disclaimer – The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information. foodnetindia encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
The ingredients list of the products may have changed since this page was published. Consumers are encouraged to read warnings, labels, ingredient lists, etc.
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