Summary feedback
Unibic Fruit & Nut Snack bars contain a mix of cereals-(rice crisps, rolled oats), nuts, seeds, raisins, dates, black currants, cranberries.
We are disappointed to find that it contains edible vegetable fat, which is usually a term used for hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats, which 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.
The sugar content in it is at high levels of 7.6 gm per 30 gm pack and so we will not recommend it for those battling diabetes, lifestyle disease and obesity issues.
The foodnetindia rating for this product :-
foodnetindia safety rating: 4- (On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unsafe to very safe)
Many people replace their regular meals with snack bars like these thinking that it would provide them with better nutrition and lesser calories to help them lose weight. But that is so far from the truth, as bars like these are sugar bombs and such high sugar food products are not recommended for those having diabetes, lifestyle diseases or obesity problems.
This food product does not specify which edible oil has been used for the vegetable fat. We believe that it is not responsible behaviour for a brand to avoid clearly stating what ingredients have been used.
Edible vegetable fat is usually a term used for hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats, which 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)
This food has wholesome oats, nuts and pieces of fruits and fruit puree too but its high sugar content and edible vegetable fat does not make it a wholesome food or a good addition to a wholesome diet, except in small quantities.
Ingredients of concern in Unibic Fruit and Nut Snack Bars
- Sugar
- Edible Vegetable Fat
- Glucose Syrup
Sugar
It contains 7.6 grams of sugar in a 30 gm pack. 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.
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 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.
Other ingredients that are in the product but not a major source of concern in our opinion are:
- Dry Fruits 37% (Golden Raisins, Black Currants, Dates, Cranberries)
- Cereals-29% (Rolled Oats, Rice Crispies)
- Dry Nuts- 18% (Almond and Cashews)
- Honey
- Flax Seeds
- Emulsifier E 322 from Soya
- Humectant E 422
- Vegetable Gum E 415
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 and is’