SAVOURY snacks have unsurprisingly been given a big thumbs-down for harming health in a study conducted by Spain’s OCU consumer group.
It analysed 202 snack products and classified 80% of them as unhealthy or very unhealthy, including those promoted as containing less fat.
Though tempting for everybody of all ages, stuff like nachos, crisps, and cones are all highly processed with ingredients that can cause health issues if eaten frequently.
“An excess of of salt, fats and additives, plus a high calorific intake, are common in 158 of the 202 snacks assessed,” the OCU said.
Even the remaining 44 products in the study that did not get totally slammed, come with provisos over what they contain and are classified as ‘less harmful’.
Those items get an A or B on a Nurtiscore ranking which analyses the nutritional quality of a snack based on the labelling information.
They also need to score 80 or more on the OCU Healthy Scale which combines nutritional information with additives and flavourings in the product.
The ‘least bad’ includes the Mios corn snack featuring smoked salt and black pepper.
Three brands of nachos get a cautious thumbs-up, namely Tortilla Nachips and Tortilla Chips Fajita- both from the Old El Paso brand- as well Mercadona’s own-label Hacendado Nachos.