Kerala Banana Chips — ENGINEERED
Munch or Dump rates Kerala Banana Chips by Byond Snack ENGINEERED — score 30/90.
Real bananas, but deep-fried in refined palmolein and dosed with TBHQ (E319), a synthetic petroleum-derived antioxidant. The oil and fry-load drive this, not the fruit.
Why this verdict
- Deep-fried in refined palmolein oil, saturated fat around 13g per serving
- Contains E319 (TBHQ), a synthetic petroleum-derived antioxidant/preservative
- Uses 'nature-identical' flavoring, meaning lab-made flavor compounds
- E551 anticaking agent plus added natural colors, not just banana and salt
- NOVA group 4 ultra-processed snack despite the short-looking label
Ingredients (7)
- Raw Banana (72%) (safe) — Real fruit base and the one genuine ingredient, but deep-fried it becomes a refined-starch chip that spikes blood sugar.
- Refined Vegetable Oil (Palmolein) (moderate) — Refined, high-heat frying oil; heavy in saturated fat and drives the ~31g fat per 100g.
- Iodised Salt (safe) — Sodium with added iodine; fine in small amounts but adds to the sodium load.
- Anticaking agent (E551) (moderate) — Silicon dioxide, an industrial flow agent; inert but a marker of processed manufacturing, not a whole food.
- Antioxidant (E319 / TBHQ) (concerning) — TBHQ is a synthetic petroleum-derived preservative used to stop the frying oil going rancid; it flatly contradicts the "all natural / no preservatives" claim.
- Added natural colors (moderate) — Permitted coloring; a plain banana chip should not need added color.
- Nature-identical flavoring substances (moderate) — Synthetically manufactured flavor compounds, chemically identical to natural ones but lab-made.