⌕ Zoom

Photo from the brand's official website

Kaleva

Kaleva Boondi

Name: Kaleva Boondi
Brand: Kaleva

Use in moderation SafeShelf · review pending

NOVA 3no added sugarno artificial coloursno artificial preservativescontains palm oilhigh fathigh calorielactose-freegluten-freediabetic-safenut-freepregnancy-safeenjoy in moderation

Serving

100 g

Pack

—

Ingredients

Barcode

6 82564 07706 5

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 6 ingredients

Edible Oil (Cotton Seed & Palm Oil)Caution

Edible SaltCaution

Cleared 4▾

Gram FlourCleared

Edible StarchCleared

Rice PowderCleared

Spices And CondimentsCleared

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.

1/8

claims fully supported

“Traditional Indian Taste”unverified

Boondi is indeed a centuries-old Indian namkeen preparation; the ingredient list (gram flour, oil, salt, spices) is consistent with traditional recipes. Taste itself is subjective and unverifiable.

“Bikaner Wale Ka”misleading

The manufacturer address on the label is A-72/72-1, G.T. Karnal Road, Industrial Area, Delhi-110009 — not Bikaner, Rajasthan. The claim implies Bikaner provenance or heritage, which the available information does not support.

“A Perfect Combination of Gram Flour, Oil, Salt & Spices”misleading

The ingredient list also includes Edible Starch and Rice Powder, which are not mentioned in the claim. The description is incomplete and understates the ingredient count.

“A Proprietary Food”true

The rawLabelData explicitly includes a proprietaryFoodDeclaration field confirming this declaration, consistent with FSSAI rules for foods without a standard of identity.

“Kaleva Namkeen, Masala Taste, Chatpata, Little Nutty, Little Salty, Exactly What you Expect from Kaleva.”unverified

Taste and sensory descriptors are entirely subjective; no objective sensory data is available to verify or refute.

“Kaleva Namkeen what you'll never share with anyone. It's always good in taste.”unverified

Pure marketing hyperbole; taste preference is subjective and not verifiable from nutrition or ingredient data.

“A taste that lingers on and on”unverified

Subjective sensory marketing claim; not verifiable from available data.

“The perfect snacks Anytime Anywhere.”misleading

With 13 g saturated fat and 572 kcal per 100 g, multiple vulnerable groups (heart disease, hypertension, children, pregnancy) should restrict or avoid this product, making 'anytime anywhere' suitability for all consumers misleading.

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 (0 g sugar per 100 g)
No artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives declared
Gram flour base provides ~9.5 g protein per 100 g
FSSAI licensed and APEDA certified
Vegetarian certified

Working against

Very high total fat: 42 g per 100 g
High saturated fat: 13 g per 100 g — over 2× SafeShelf limit
Contains palm oil (linked to GE/3-MCPD process contaminants and LDL elevation)
Contains cottonseed oil (high omega-6, residual gossypol concerns)
Sodium content not disclosed on label — a key transparency gap
Extremely calorie-dense: 572 kcal per 100 g

Who should approach with care

Infants — Palm oil in this product introduces GE/3-MCPD process contaminants at levels EFSA identified as a particular public health concern for infants, and both gram flour's antinutrients and rice flour's inorganic arsenic add further risk for this age group.

Children — Children face proportionally higher GE/3-MCPD exposure from palm oil and higher relative inorganic arsenic exposure from rice flour, while the undisclosed sodium and high saturated fat content also contribute to cardiovascular risk from an early age.

Pregnancy — Cottonseed oil carries residual gossypol with documented embryotoxic properties in animal studies, palm oil introduces genotoxic process contaminants during a critical developmental window, rice flour contributes inorganic arsenic, and excess sodium elevates gestational hypertension risk.

Heart Disease — Salt directly elevates cardiovascular risk, palm oil and cottonseed oil both raise LDL cholesterol through saturated and omega-6 fatty acid loads, and the combined effect is particularly dangerous for individuals with existing heart disease.

Hypertension — Sodium (from edible salt, quantity undisclosed) directly and continuously raises blood pressure, and the high saturated fat content from palm oil further exacerbates dyslipidaemia in hypertensive individuals.

Kidney Disease — Impaired kidneys cannot efficiently excrete sodium from the salt content, and gram flour and rice flour both contribute phosphorus and potassium that require restriction in chronic kidney disease.

Liver Disease — Gossypol is a documented hepatotoxin; individuals with pre-existing liver disease should consult a physician before regularly consuming cottonseed oil products.

Diabetes — Both edible starch and rice flour have high glycaemic indices that can cause rapid postprandial blood glucose spikes, requiring careful portion management in diabetic individuals.

Elderly — Declining renal sodium excretion capacity in the elderly makes excess dietary sodium from this snack a disproportionate hypertension and cardiovascular risk, as noted in FDA and WHO guidance.

Ibs — Gram flour is high in galacto-oligosaccharides (a class of FODMAPs) and edible starch can produce intestinal gas via microbial fermentation, both of which can trigger bloating and abdominal discomfort in IBS patients.

Ibd — The high omega-6 fatty acid content of cottonseed oil may promote intestinal inflammation, and gram flour's high fibre and FODMAP load may worsen gastrointestinal symptoms during active IBD flares.

Gluten Intolerance — Gram flour may be processed in shared wheat facilities, and the source of edible starch is undeclared and could be wheat-derived, posing a cross-contamination risk for individuals with coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.

The full analysis

Kaleva Boondi is a classic South Asian fried gram flour snack likely purchased by consumers seeking a traditional namkeen experience. On the positive side it carries no added sugar, no declared artificial colours or preservatives, and a modest protein contribution (~9.5 g/100 g) for a fried snack. The most important concern, however, is its extremely high fat load — 42 g total fat and 13 g saturated fat per 100 g — driven by deep-frying in a blend of cottonseed and palm oil, both of which carry specific cardiovascular and process-contaminant (GE/3-MCPD) warnings. Actual sodium content is not declared on the label, which is a transparency gap. The single most useful thing a consumer should know is that this snack is calorie-dense and saturated-fat-heavy: even a modest 30 g handful delivers more than a third of an adult's recommended daily saturated fat ceiling.

FSSAI licence

13318002000374

Manufacturer

Kaleva

Region

Source

MANUAL

Analysis

Independently researched