Britannia 50 50 Biscuits. Review on Britannia 50 - 50 Biscuits

Sweet and salted Britannia 50 50 biscuits have ruled Indian tea-time snacks for a long time. However these biscuits cannot be a meal replacement as they are very rich in simple carbohydrates and sugars. There is 44.53 gm of carbohydrates in just 65 gm serving of the biscuit of which 13 gm is sugar. For this reason, we do not consider this product to be a safe snack for people who suffer from lifestyle diseases like obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol imbalances and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The foodnetindia rating for this product:-

foodnetindia safety rating: 4 -(On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unsafe to very safe)

This product is eaten in large quantities and regularly as a snack by adults and children alike. Very often, it is eaten as a meal replacement by people on the move. A high simple carb, and high sugar, high salt product like this is not safe when consumed in this fashion and may cause lifestyle diseases in adults. Even children must sparingly eat such starchy and sugary products.

The amount of salt in this product is high at 195 mg in 36 gm of the product. Also one of the product ingredients is edible vegetable oil, and it is not specified by the manufacturer which oil is used.

foodnetindia wholesomeness rating: 3 -(On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unbalanced nutrition profile to excellent nutrition profile)

The product is a sugary starchy product with no macro nutrient balance or natural micronutrient diversity. This is not a wholesome product unless it is consumed in small quantities as a small part of an otherwise diverse and wholesome diet.

Ingredients in Britannia 50 50 biscuits which are a concern:

Edible vegetable oil

Invert Syrup

Edible Common salt

Sugar

Raising agent IN 503(ii)(ammonium bicarbonate)

Added Flavours(Artificial flavouring substances Butter, Vanilla, Milk)

Edible Vegetable Oil

This food product does not specify which edible vegetable oil has been used. We believe that it is not responsible behaviour for a brand to avoid clearly stating what ingredients have been used.

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.

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.

Edible Common Salt

In 36 gm of Britannia 50 50 biscuits there is 195 mg of Salt which is very high. 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.

Sugar

Britannia 50 50 contains 13 gm sugar per 65 gm of the product. 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.

Raising agentIN 503(ii)(ammonium bicarbonate)

It is produced from ammonium sulphate and calcium carbonate, natural minerals. It is used as a acidity regulator, alkali, and rising agent. Side effects may be gas formation in the stomach after ingestion.

Added Flavours(Artificial flavouring substances Butter, Vanilla, Milk)

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.

Ingredients present in Britannia 50 50 biscuits which are not a concern