Biscuit
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in Food
Key Findings
We tested 19 brands and 6 loose ones of sweet and semi-sweet biscuits and crackers against the BIS and PFA Act.
- The higher the fat, the crisper the biscuit, which is why crackers come with higher fat content.
- Sodium adds to the flavour and regulates the flow of fluids within the body. But people with a high blood pressure must control their sodium intake. Crackers and loose biscuits in the sweet category gave high sodium.
- Crackers, with the highest fat content, also carried the highest calories.
- Sweet biscuits in general were priced the least and crackers the highest.
Nutrition
Biscuits are fast taking the place of snacks, especially with children and even with old people where nutrition is important. So we tested them for their nutritional value. To interpret the results we used the dietary allowances recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for Indian men and women. The allowances are for moderately active people and for men weighing 60 kg and for women weighing 50 kg.
(To zoom click on table)
Fat
The higher the fat, the crisper is the biscuit, which is why, crackers contain higher fat. Fat in biscuits gives them a smooth, glazed texture, makes them more palatable, gives longer shelf-life, improves flavour and adds energy. According to the ICMR, the recommended desirable visible fat intake per day is 20 gm for both men and women. Next time you open a pack of biscuits, count the fat you are taking in. A 100-gm pack of sweet and semi-sweet biscuits can easily give 50 to 75 per cent of our daily fat requirement. Beware of too many crackers. They can give 90 to 120 per cent of the desirable intake.
Areas of Action
- The PFA Act and the BIS must lay down standards for the presence of glucose where brands claim to be glucose biscuits.
- The PFA Act should lay down limits for all chemical parameters like moisture, total ash, crude fibre, peroxide value, fungus and insect infestation, foreign matter and non permitted colours.
- Labelling nutritional values like protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, sodium, iron, total calories should be made compulsory by the standards.
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