Roasted Gram | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Roasted gram is the heat-processed form of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), a legume consumed widely in South Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean as a whole food or flour ingredient. It is used as a nutritious snack, a flour base for gluten-free products, and a culinary ingredient prized for its high protein, dietary fibre, and micronutrient content.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Roasted gram is broadly recognized as safe for the general adult population; it is a whole food with no established Acceptable Daily Intake limit. Chickpeas contain antinutritional factors (phytic acid, tannins, oligosaccharides such as raffinose and stachyose) that may cause flatulence and mildly reduce mineral bioavailability at high intakes, though roasting partially reduces these. No bans or major regulatory restrictions apply to roasted gram as a food ingredient in any major jurisdiction.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and its roasted form are recognised as conventional foods in the EU. No EFSA safety opinion has restricted their use; roasted chickpeas (leblebi) are commercially sold across EU member states without additive or novel-food status.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Chickpea and its products (including roasted forms) are recognised under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. No maximum daily intake is specified; the product is treated as a conventional whole food/pulse under Schedule I of the FSS Act, 2006.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Chickpeas and roasted chickpea products are classified as whole foods/legumes. No specific ADI or maximum intake restriction is established by FDA; chickpeas are listed as a protein food group item in USDA/FDA dietary guidance.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Ibs — Chickpeas contain oligosaccharides (raffinose, stachyose) that are fermented in the colon and may exacerbate bloating, cramping, and altered bowel habits in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), particularly those following a low-FODMAP diet.

Ibd — High dietary fibre content in roasted gram may aggravate symptoms during active flares of inflammatory bowel disease; medical guidance is advised.

Kidney Disease — Chickpeas are a significant source of potassium and phosphorus, which may need to be restricted in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to prevent hyperkalaemia and hyperphosphataemia.

Gout — Chickpeas contain moderate purines; individuals with gout are generally advised to limit high-purine legume intake to reduce uric acid load.

Phenylketonuria — Chickpeas contain phenylalanine as part of their protein content; individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU) must carefully manage total phenylalanine intake from all protein sources including legumes.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Dietary supplementation with chickpeas for at least 5 weeks results in small but significant reductions in serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterols in adult women and men. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2PubMed. Nutritional composition, health benefits and bio-active compounds of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), 2023. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3PubMed. Impact of Raw, Roasted and Dehulled Chickpea Flours on Technological and Nutritional Characteristics of Gluten-Free Bread, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. The Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Chickpeas and Hummus, 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, 2011. fssai.gov.in

Independently researched5 citations