Summary feedback
Unibic Cashew Cookies is a popular tea time snack.
While reviewing this product we find that a significant part of the calories are from simple carbohydrates and sugars, which is not beneficial for diabetics, obese people and those with lifestyle diseases.
This biscuit also contains edible vegetable fat, which is often another name for hydrogenated fats. Hydrogenated fats are a source of trans fatty acids or “transfats”, which are harmful to health. Transfats increase the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, cancer and many other ailments.
The foodnetindia rating for this product:-
foodnetindia safety rating: 2 – (On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unsafe to very safe)
This biscuit contains over 50 percent of its calories from simple carbohydrates, which is high and unsafe for diabetics and those who are trying to lose weight.
Often brands tend to obscure the fact that they have used hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils by using the term “edible vegetable fat”. Hydrogenated fats are a source of trans fatty acids or “transfats”, which are harmful to health. Transfats increase the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, cancer and many other ailments. This food product does not specify which edible vegetable fat has been used. We believe that it is not responsible behaviour for a brand to avoid clearly stating what ingredients have been used.
We do not recommend the consumption of products that contain hydrogenated fat.
foodnetindia wholesomeness rating: 2 – (On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unbalanced nutrition profile to excellent nutrition profile)
Even though the product contains nutritious butter and milk solids, it cannot be considered as a meal replacement choice as it has very poor nutrient diversity and is high in calories from simple starches and sugars.
In addition, due to the problem of hydrogenated fats, we can not recommend consumption of the product.
Ingredients of concern in Unibic Butter Cookies
- Sugar
- Edible Vegetable Fat
- Liquid Glucose
- Salt
- Added Flavour: Natural Flavours and Flavouring Substances, Artificial Flavour (Butter)
Sugar
This food product contains 25 gm sugar per 100 gm of the product. It 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.
Edible Vegetable Fat
Often brands tend to obscure the fact that they have used hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils by using the term “edible vegetable fat”. Hydrogenated fats are a source of trans fatty acids or “transfats”, which are harmful to health. Transfats increase the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, cancer and many other ailments.
This food product does not specify which edible vegetable fat has been used. We believe that it is not responsible behaviour for a brand to avoid clearly stating what ingredients have been used.
A vegetable oil is a triglyceride extracted from a plant. Such oils have been part of human culture for millennia. The term “vegetable oil” can be narrowly defined as referring only to plant oils that are liquid at room temperature, or broadly defined without regard to a substance’s state of matter at a given temperature. For this reason, vegetable oils that are solid at room temperature are sometimes called vegetable fats.
Glucose syrup
It is also known as confectioner’s glucose, is a syrup made from the hydrolisis of starch. Glucose is a sugar. Excessive sugar consumption is linked to a wide variety of metabolic diseases.
Salt
Certain manufacturers do not mention the quantity of salt contained in their products. 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.
Added flavours
This food product does not specify which flavours or flavouring substances have been used. The flavours should be specified as some of them have serious side effects and may not be suitable for infants, pregnant women or people who are allergic. We believe that it is not responsible behaviour for a brand to avoid clearly stating what ingredients have been used.
By not specifying what these flavours and substances are, we are forced to consider what they are hiding and why would they be so reluctant to mention what they have used in the food product!
Other ingredients that are in the product but not a major source of concern in our opinion are:
- Wheat flour
- Butter (15%)
- Milk Solids (4%)
- Leavening Agents: E 503(ii), E500(ii)
- Emulsifier: E 322 from soya
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 product may have changed since this page was published. Consumers are encouraged to read warnings, labels, ingredient lists, etc.
Replies, if any, from the brand, will be published here ‘As is’