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Pillsbury Cookie Cake in choco flavour is a new product launched in India recently.
The product is a packaged food containing preservatives and also hydrogenated vegetable oils and edible vegetable fats (usually another name for hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, which contain trans-fats. The brand however, labels this as a zero trans fat product.
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 “trans fats”, which are harmful to health. Trans Fats increase the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, cancer and many other ailments.
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.
Due to the presence of hydrogenated vegetable oil and for other reasons mentioned below, we do not consider Pillsbury Cookie Cake as recommended food. Due to its high sugar and simple starches content we believe that this food must be avoided by diabetics and patients of lifestyle diseases.
The foodnetindia rating for this product :-
foodnetindia safety rating: 4 – (On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unsafe to very safe)
Pillsbury Cookie Cake contains Palm oil which is considered to be a safer alternative in comparison to 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 often rendered toxic.
However, last year, the safety authority delivered a scientific report that current levels of glycerol-based process contaminants found in palm oil are a “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.
The cake contains 8 gm of sugar per 23 gm serving. We do not believe that most people stop at 23 grams and will consume 2-4 cookies in one sitting. This will make the sugar content very high and detrimental to health.
As the cake is made of refined wheat flour or maida, it is a source of gluten and has a high glycaemic simple starch base. In our opinion, this food is unsuitable for diabetics and also for those who have lfestyle disease.
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 “trans fats”, which are harmful to health. Trans Fats increase the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, cancer and many other ailments.
foodnetindia wholesomeness rating: 4 – (On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unbalanced nutrition profile to excellent nutrition profile)
The cake contains milk solids and cocoa solids which are nutritious but also contains a lot of ingredients which may not be good for health. High sugar quantity of 8 gm per 23 gm is a worrying factor as kids and adults both eat. Them in huge quantity without worrying about sugar intake.
Ingredients of concern in Pillsbury Cookie Cake
- Edible vegetable oil-sunflower oil
- Added flavour-vanilla, chocolate,
- Edible Vegetable Fat(Palm)
- Hydrogenated vegetable oil-palm
Sugar
This food product does not specify which sugar has been used. This is also 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.
Sugar is a carbohydrate found naturally in a host of different foods from lactose in milk to the fructose in fruit and honey. In fact, we need some sugar in our diets to supply ready energy to fuel our muscles and keep our brains active. The problem is that many processed foods have added sugar which supplies energy in the form of calories – and very little else. This means our body has to draw on the nutrients from the rest of our diet to process it and this can affect our health, including our immunity – leaving us more prone to bugs and colds. A high intake of sugar causes our blood sugar levels to shoot up, giving us that feel-good ‘high’ followed by a crashing slump which leaves us tired, irritable and craving more sugary foods. It’s a vicious cycle that may be contributing to our weight problems as well as health concerns like diabetes and heart disease.
Edible vegetable oil-Sunflower oil
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.
In addition, some people may be allergic to specific oils. Food allergies can sometimes be life threatening.
Liquid Glucose
Glucose syrup, also known as confectioners glucose, is a syrup made from the hydrolysis of starch. Glucose is a sugar. Excessive sugar consumption is linked to a wide variety of metabolic diseases.
Added Flavour-Vanilla, Chocolate
The flavours used 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.
Ingredients present in Pillsbury Cookie Cake-Choco which are not a concern:
-
- Wheat Flour,
- Dark Compound Choco chips(7.8%)
- Cocoa Solids,
- Dextrose,
- Emulsifier(INS491, INS322),
- Water,
- Dark Compound Choco Drizzle(5.2%)
- Cocoa Solids,
- Dextrose,
- Emulsifier(INS 322)),
- Glycerol,
- Cocoa Solids(3.9%),
- Starch,
- Fructose,
- Milk Solids(1.8%),
- Calcium Carbonate,
- Baking Powder,
- Leavening Agent(INS500(i),INS341(i)),
- Stabilizers(INS415, INS410),
- Vitamin D
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’