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Kaleva

Bikaneri Bhujia

Name: Bikaneri Bhujia
Brand: Kaleva

Use in moderation SafeShelf · review pending

NOVA 3no added sugarno artificial additiveshigh fathigh sodiumvegetarianlactose-freegluten-freediabetic-safenut-freeenjoy in moderation

Serving

30 g

Pack

—

Ingredients

Barcode

6 82564 00113 8

Buy on Amazon

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 · 2 ingredients shown

Caution2 of 5 ingredients

Edible Vegetable Oil (Refined Palmolein Oil, Refined Cottonseed Oil)Caution

Spice & Condiments (Red Chilli Powder, Black Pepper Powder, Clove Powder, Longi Mirch, Mace Powder, Fennel, Nutmeg Powder, Cardamom Powder, Asafoetida Powder)Caution

Cleared 3▾

Tepary Beans FlourCleared

Gram FlourCleared

Iodized SaltCleared

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.

2/5

claims fully supported

“Traditional Indian Taste”true

The product uses a classical Bikaneri spice blend (red chilli, black pepper, clove, mace, fennel, nutmeg, cardamom, asafoetida) consistent with traditional namkeen formulations; no data contradicts this characterisation.

“Bikaner Wale Ka”unverified

The manufacturer address is 109 Banglia Sahib Road, Gole Market, New Delhi — not Bikaner, Rajasthan. The geographical provenance implied by this phrase cannot be verified from the available data.

“Multi-layer pack to hold the freshness”true

The packaging information explicitly states 'Multi-layer pack to hold the freshness' and the caveat section repeats it; storage instructions align with moisture-sensitive snack protection.

“The perfect snacks Anytime Anywhere”unverified

This is a subjective marketing tagline with no objective nutritional or safety claim to evaluate.

“Extruded Fried Snacks of Bikaner, Made From Moth Pulse Flour”false

The ingredient list identifies the primary ingredient as Tepary Bean Flour (Phaseolus acutifolius, 46%), not Moth Pulse Flour (Vigna aconitifolia / matki). These are distinct legumes. The claim that the product is made from moth pulse flour is directly contradicted by the declared 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

No artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives
No added sugar; zero grams total sugar
Contains whole spice blend with natural antioxidants
Vegetarian certified; suitable for plant-based diets
FSSAI licensed manufacturer with APEDA membership
Zero trans fat

Working against

Very high total fat (~47g/100g); deep-fried product
High saturated fat (~11.9g/100g) from palmolein oil
High sodium (~1070mg/100g per label; ~321mg per 30g serving)
Contains refined palmolein oil — associated with process contaminants GE and 3-MCPD (EFSA caution)
Contains refined cottonseed oil — also a source of GE/3-MCPD process contaminants
Significant nutrition data discrepancy: database values (162 kcal, 14g fat/100g) appear to be per-serving figures mis-entered as per-100g

Who should approach with care

Infants — Multiple ingredients pose infant risks: asafoetida is linked to methemoglobinemia in infants; refined palmolein and cottonseed oils carry EFSA-flagged GE/3-MCPD exposure concerns; chilli, mace, and nutmeg all have established contraindications in infants.

Pregnancy — Asafoetida has documented uterotonic and abortifacient properties; fennel contains estragole (EFSA-classified genotoxic carcinogen) which crosses the placenta; refined palmolein oil carries precautionary GE exposure concerns during pregnancy.

Lactation — Fennel's estragole has been detected in breast milk and shown carcinogenicity in offspring of mice (EFSA 2025); asafoetida's sulfur compounds may transfer into breast milk; mace above culinary levels may suppress lactation.

Children — Refined palmolein and cottonseed oils pose elevated GE/3-MCPD exposure relative to lower body weight (EFSA); chilli and longi mirch can cause significant GI and mucosal irritation; myristicin in mace and nutmeg has disproportionately severe toxicity in children.

Hypertension — Sodium content is approximately 1070mg/100g per label — a single 30g serving provides ~321mg sodium, nearly 14% of WHO's 2300mg daily limit, contributing meaningfully to elevated blood pressure risk.

Heart Disease — High saturated fat from palmolein oil (~11.9g/100g) may adversely alter lipoprotein profiles; asafoetida has anticoagulant properties that may interact with antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications.

Kidney Disease — Tepary bean flour and gram flour are relatively high in potassium, phosphorus, and plant protein, all of which may require restriction in chronic kidney disease; high sodium content further strains renal fluid and electrolyte management.

Liver Disease — Eugenol from clove and myristicin from nutmeg both undergo hepatic metabolism and at elevated doses can impose additional stress on an impaired liver; refined cottonseed oil's 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD contaminants also show potential hepatotoxic properties in animal studies.

Ibs — Both tepary bean flour and gram flour are high in fermentable oligosaccharides (FODMAPs/alpha-galactosides) that can trigger bloating and abdominal discomfort; capsaicin from chilli and longi mirch activates TRPV1 gut receptors, further aggravating IBS symptoms.

Ibd — High fibre legume flours may worsen GI symptoms during active IBD flares; capsaicin and piperine both have mucosal irritant properties that can trigger disease flares in Crohn's or ulcerative colitis.

Epilepsy — Myristicin in nutmeg and mace has neuroactive and psychoactive properties that may interact with seizure thresholds; ferulic acid compounds in asafoetida may also have CNS-stimulatory effects at higher intakes.

Migraine — Nutmeg contains trace phenylethylamine-like compounds and myristicin, recognised dietary migraine triggers; capsaicin in chilli powder is also a known migraine trigger in susceptible individuals.

Thyroid Disease — Iodized salt contributes to dietary iodine intake; both excess and insufficient iodine can worsen thyroid dysfunction in individuals with hyperthyroidism or Hashimoto's thyroiditis — physician guidance on iodine load is recommended.

Gluten Intolerance — Gram flour is inherently gluten-free, but the label warns 'may contain traces of Wheat'; individuals with coeliac disease must treat this product as potentially cross-contaminated and verify certified gluten-free labelling.

Nut Allergy — The label declares 'may also contain traces of Peanuts and Nuts' due to shared manufacturing environments, posing a risk of allergic reaction for individuals with nut or peanut allergies.

The full analysis

This is a straightforward Indian namkeen bought for its authentic Bikaneri taste profile — a staple at tea-time and festive occasions. It contains no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, or sweeteners, making it considerably cleaner than many mass-market extruded snacks; however, it is a deep-fried product with a high fat content (approximately 47g/100g per label — note the database figures of 14g fat and 162 kcal/100g appear to be per-serving values incorrectly entered as per-100g, a likely OCR transcription error). The most important thing a consumer should know: the label claims the snack is made from 'Moth Pulse Flour' but the actual ingredient list lists tepary bean flour as the dominant component (46%), which is a different legume entirely, raising a meaningful labelling accuracy concern under FSSAI standards.

FSSAI licence

13318009000038

Manufacturer

KALEVA

Region

Source

MANUAL

Analysis

Independently researched