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Chheda's

Bhavnagri Gathiya

Name: Bhavnagri Gathiya
Brand: Chheda's

Use in moderation SafeShelf · review pending

NOVA 4zero added sugarhigh saturated fatcontains preservativeno artificial colourshigh fibernut-freediabetic-safegluten-freelactose-freeenjoy in moderation

Serving

67 g

Pack

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Ingredients

Barcode

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01 — Ingredient mix

What’s in the box, ranked from most concerning.

Each ingredient gets a tier from our researched dossier. The list sorts worst-first; the donut summarises the distribution. Tap any ingredient for its full dossier.

Caution · 3 ingredients shown

Caution3 of 7 ingredients

Palm OilCaution

SaltCaution

Sodium BenzoiteE211Caution

Cleared 4▾

Gram FlourCleared

StarchCleared

AjmaCleared

Sodium bicarbonateE500(ii)Cleared

02 — Claims audit

Every label claim, fact-checked.

We treat each claim as a question — does what’s inside back it up? Tap a claim for the reasoning.

2/2

claims fully supported

“Indian Traditional Snacks”true

Bhavnagri Gathiya is a well-documented traditional Indian namkeen from the Saurashtra region; gram flour sticks spiced with ajwain have a long culinary history in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

“Fried gram flour sticks with carom seeds added”true

Ingredient list confirms gram flour at 51.7%, palm oil as the frying medium at 40%, and ajwain (carom seeds) at 1%; the product description matches the ingredient composition.

03 — The fuller picture

Read the whole thing if a one-line verdict isn’t enough.

What’s in favour, and what’s working against it

In favour

Zero added sugar and zero detectable sugars
Good dietary fibre — 5 g/100 g (20% daily value)
Zero trans fat declared
No artificial colours or sweeteners
FSSAI licensed and ISO 22000 certified manufacturer
Traditional whole-food base ingredient (gram flour) at 51.7%

Working against

Ultra-processed: contains sodium benzoate preservative (E211)
Very high saturated fat — 13 g/100 g (65% DV per serving)
Palm oil at 40% — major contributor to saturated fat and EFSA-flagged process contaminants
Deep fried — calories from fat represent 65% of total energy
Sodium benzoate may exceed EFSA ADI for young children under brand-loyal consumption
Starch source undeclared — potential wheat cross-concern for gluten-sensitive consumers

Who should approach with care

Pregnancy — Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) has documented abortifacient pharmacological activity; additionally, palm oil's process contaminants (GE, 3-MCPD) and sodium benzoate's weak in-vitro genotoxic signals both warrant avoidance during pregnancy.

Infants — Palm oil in infant nutrition raises a specific EFSA concern around genotoxic GE contaminants; sodium benzoate ADI is easily exceeded at infant body weights, and gram flour's antinutritional factors are an additional concern.

Children — EFSA found toddlers and children can exceed the sodium benzoate ADI (5 mg/kg bw/day) under regular consumption; high saturated fat from palm oil also poses proportionally greater cardiovascular risk in younger age groups.

Heart Disease — Saturated fat at 13 g/100 g (65% DV per serving) from palm oil and salt-driven sodium promote elevated LDL cholesterol, fluid retention, and increased cardiac workload — all identified risk factors per WHO and EFSA.

Hypertension — Salt, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium benzoate collectively contribute to dietary sodium load; WHO and EFSA identify continuous dose-response between sodium and blood pressure elevation, making this snack a risk for hypertensive individuals.

Kidney Disease — Salt and sodium benzoate (renally cleared as hippurate) combined with gram flour's high phosphorus and potassium content make this product unsuitable for patients with impaired renal function without dietitian guidance.

Liver Disease — Sodium benzoate undergoes hepatic conjugation before renal clearance; published data indicate potential adverse effects on liver function at higher exposures, requiring medical guidance for those with pre-existing hepatic conditions.

Diabetes — Starch (5%) and gram flour are rapidly digestible carbohydrate sources that can raise postprandial blood glucose; the deep-fried, energy-dense format also contributes to overall caloric load.

Ibs — Gram flour is high in galacto-oligosaccharides (FODMAPs) and starch can ferment in the colon, both of which may trigger bloating, gas, and abdominal discomfort in IBS sufferers.

Ibd — High fibre and FODMAP content from gram flour may worsen gastrointestinal symptoms during active IBD flares; tolerance is individual and should be monitored.

Gluten Intolerance — Gram flour is inherently gluten-free but the product carries no certified gluten-free declaration; the undeclared starch source may be wheat-derived, posing a cross-contamination or direct gluten risk for coeliac individuals.

Elderly — Declining renal sodium-excretion capacity in older adults makes excess sodium from salt, sodium benzoate, and sodium bicarbonate disproportionately harmful for blood pressure and cardiovascular health, as noted by the FDA.

Other — Individuals with salicylate or benzoate hypersensitivity (including aspirin-sensitive asthma patients) may experience urticaria, angioedema, or bronchospasm from sodium benzoate; those on anticoagulant therapy (e.g., warfarin) should note ajwain's documented prothrombin-time-prolonging activity.

The full analysis

Chheda's Bhavnagri Gathiya is a popular shelf-stable Indian namkeen bought by snack lovers seeking a familiar, savoury, carom-seed-flavoured treat. While the product has a clean sugar profile (zero grams), decent dietary fibre (5 g/100 g), and carries FSSAI and ISO 22000 certifications, three issues stand out: palm oil constitutes 40% of the recipe and drives an exceptionally high saturated fat load (13 g/100 g, 65% daily value per serving); sodium benzoate (E211) classifies this as an ultra-processed food and raises concerns for infants, children, and people with liver or kidney conditions; and the ajwain content, while traditional, makes high-intake use inadvisable in pregnancy. The single most useful takeaway for a curious consumer is that despite a centuries-old recipe base, the industrialised palm-oil and preservative formulation pushes this snack firmly into the ultra-processed category with a saturated-fat burden that warrants genuine moderation.

FSSAI licence

11512018000919

Manufacturer

Chheda Specialities Foods Pvt. Ltd.

Region

Source

MANUAL

Analysis

Independently researched