Summary feedback
Oreo is a 100 year old brand and generates $1 billion revenue worldwide. Chocolate biscuits like Cadbury’s Oreo should be eaten in a controlled manner because researchers have found that these biscuits are addictive in nature as all food containing high sugar have the same addictive effect on the brain as illegal drugs!
The foodnetindia rating for this product :-Foodnetindia safety rating : 3 -(On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unsafe to very safe)
In our review of this food product we find that the amount of sugar is excessive at 4 gm in one serving of 10 gm.
We feel it is not only unsafe for diabetics and the obese people but also for healthy people who eat this regularly and and in large quantities.
It is also a widespread practice of many food companies to mention the term vegetable fat to mean hydrogenated fat on their food labels. It is not clear in the case of this product if this is what they mean. This product would normally get a higher safety rating but pending this clarification on the term “vegetable fat”, we are forced to rate it lower.
Foodnetindia wholesomeness rating : 4 – (On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unbalanced nutrition profile to excellent nutrition profile)
Like many biscuits available in India, Cadbury’s Oreo biscuits too does not specify the exact source of the edible vegetable and edible vegetable fat used in its preparation. This is not expected from an international brand like Cadbury’s, as consumers have the right to know what they are eating.
We at foodnetindia urge food companies to mention exactly what ingredients they use as the health of millions including children is at stake.
Ingredients of concern in Cadbury’s Oreo Biscuits
Edible vegetable oil
The product has not specified the exact vegetable oil used in it. Certain vegetable oils contain very large amounts of biologically active fats called Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which could be harmful in excess.
Excess polyunsaturated fats may react with oxygen, and oxidised Omega-6 fats can damage body functions and perhaps even vital structures like DNA. In addition, consumers need clear information about the type of vegetable oil used, so that they can take action to maintain a healthy balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid consumption.
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.
Sugar
Cadbury’s Oreo Biscuits contain 4 gm sugar per 10 gm serving of it, 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.
Invert Syrup
Inverted or invert sugar syrup is a mixture of glucose and fructose. It is used in several products such as honey, jam, golden syrup, etc. It is similar to high fructose corn syrup.
High Fructose Corn Syrup is increasingly being seen as a reason for the high incidence of metabolic diseases. It has negative metabolic effects at much smaller doses than sucrose
Added Flavours
The 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:
- Cocoa solids
- Refined wheat flour
- IN 500(ii) (sodium bicarbonate)
- IN 322 (lecithins)
- IN 503(ii) (ammonium bicarbonate)
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.
Replies, if any, from the brand, will be published here ‘As is’
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