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The Health Factory

Zero Maida Bombay Pav

Name: Zero Maida Bombay Pav
Brand: The Health Factory

Use in moderation SafeShelf · review pending

NOVA 4no palm oilhigh fiberlow fatsource of proteinno artificial colourswhole wheatlactose-freepregnancy-safenut-freeenjoy in moderation

Serving

39 g

Pack

156 g

Ingredients

Barcode

8908009059208

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 · 3 ingredients shown

Caution3 of 8 ingredients

Wheat GlutenCaution

Cane SugarCaution

Cultured Wheat FlourCaution

Cleared 5▾

Chakki Fresh Atta (Whole Wheat Flour)Cleared

YeastCleared

Rice Bran Oil (Edible Vegetable Oil)Cleared

Iodised SaltCleared

Cultured GlucoseCleared

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.

7/8

claims fully supported

“Zero Maida”true

Ingredient list contains only chakki fresh atta (whole wheat flour) and wheat gluten with no refined wheat flour (maida) declared anywhere.

“No Chemical Preservatives”misleading

No synthetic chemical preservatives (e.g., calcium propionate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate) are present. However, the product does contain two functionally preservative ingredients — cultured wheat flour and cultured glucose — which inhibit mould and yeast growth via organic acids generated during fermentation. These are natural in origin but are still preservatives by function; consumers expecting 'no preservatives at all' may be misled.

“No Colours”true

No added colours of any kind appear in the ingredient list.

“No Palm Oil”true

The fat source is rice bran oil; no palm oil or palm-derived fraction is listed.

“No Emulsifiers”true

The ingredient list contains no declared emulsifiers (no lecithin, mono/diglycerides, DATEM, or E-number emulsifiers).

“Low Sugar & Low Fat”true

Total sugar is 3.65 g/100 g (added sugar 2.14 g/100 g) and total fat is 1.43 g/100 g — both are genuinely low by FSSAI/Codex standards.

“Source of Protein & Fibre”true

Protein is 12.28 g/100 g and dietary fibre is 7.3 g/100 g — both meaningfully high for a bread product. Per-serving protein (4.79 g) is borderline for a formal FSSAI 'source of protein' claim (threshold ~5 g/serving), but per-100 g values are strong; fibre per serving (2.85 g) comfortably meets the 'source of fibre' threshold.

“Clean Label Promise”true

The brand defines its clean label promise specifically as 'No Chemical Preservatives, No Colours, No Palm Oil, No Emulsifiers' — all four of these are supported by the ingredient list. The claim is accurate within the brand's own stated definition.

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 maida — 100% whole wheat flour base
No palm oil; uses rice bran oil instead
No artificial colours, emulsifiers, or synthetic preservatives
Good source of dietary fibre (7.3 g/100 g)
Notably high protein for a bread (12.3 g/100 g)
Zero trans fat and very low saturated fat

Working against

NOVA 4 ultra-processed despite clean-label positioning
Contains two preservative-category ingredients (cultured wheat flour, cultured glucose)
Vital wheat gluten is an industrial isolate, not a whole-food ingredient
Wheat and gluten present; completely unsuitable for coeliac disease
Moderate sodium at 354 mg/100 g from iodised salt and fermented ingredients
Contains added cane sugar, though at low amounts

Who should approach with care

Gluten Intolerance — The product contains whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, and cultured wheat flour — all direct sources of gluten — making it completely unsuitable for individuals with coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.

Other — Individuals with IgE-mediated wheat allergy must avoid this product entirely, as wheat is the primary ingredient and a mandatory declared allergen under FSSAI; the facility also processes soy, nuts, and milk, adding cross-contact risk.

Infants — Iodised salt makes this product inappropriate for infants under 12 months whose immature kidneys cannot handle added sodium; additionally, cultured wheat flour and cultured glucose lack dedicated infant safety data, and wheat gluten introduction should follow paediatric guidance.

Thyroid Disease — Iodised salt delivers dietary iodine that can precipitate iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis or worsen autoimmune thyroid conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis; individuals with thyroid disease should seek medical guidance on appropriate iodine intake.

Pregnancy — Iodine requirements rise substantially in pregnancy (200–250 µg/day per WHO/EFSA) and iodised salt alone may be insufficient or excessive; a clinician should guide total iodine intake to protect fetal neurodevelopment.

Lactation — Lactating women have elevated iodine needs and should confirm with a clinician whether dietary iodine from iodised salt in foods like this is adequately supplemented to ensure sufficient breast milk iodine content.

Hypertension — Sodium is 354 mg/100 g (138 mg/serving) contributed by iodised salt and cultured glucose; individuals with hypertension should monitor cumulative sodium intake across servings in line with WHO's <5 g/day salt recommendation.

Kidney Disease — Elevated sodium from iodised salt, combined with phosphorus and potassium from whole wheat flour, and additional sodium from cultured glucose, warrants careful intake monitoring under renal dietitian supervision.

Heart Disease — Moderate sodium content from iodised salt can promote fluid retention and cardiovascular load; patients with heart disease should incorporate this product's sodium into their clinician-prescribed daily sodium limit.

Diabetes — Despite its whole-wheat base, each pav delivers ~17.9 g of carbohydrates with added cane sugar; individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes should count carbohydrates carefully and monitor postprandial glucose response.

Ibs — Whole wheat flour and cultured wheat flour are high in fructans (fermentable FODMAPs) that can exacerbate bloating, gas, and altered bowel habits in IBS patients following a low-FODMAP protocol.

Ibd — Gluten-containing wheat ingredients may aggravate intestinal inflammation in some individuals with inflammatory bowel disease; yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is also a recognised antigen in Crohn's disease; review wheat and yeast intake with a gastroenterologist during active flares.

Gout — Baker's yeast in this product is a notable purine source that can elevate uric acid levels and trigger gout flares; cane sugar's fructose component also contributes to uricogenesis at higher intakes.

The full analysis

Health-conscious urban Indian consumers — especially those swapping white pav for a whole-grain option — are the primary audience for this product. The bread scores well on several fronts: no palm oil, no synthetic preservatives, no artificial colours or emulsifiers, genuinely low fat, and a respectable fibre and protein profile for a bread. However, it is NOVA 4 ultra-processed because it contains vital wheat gluten (a protein isolate) and two clean-label preservatives — cultured wheat flour and cultured glucose — that function identically to conventional preservatives and are not typical home-kitchen ingredients. The single most useful takeaway: this is a meaningfully better pav than a maida-based one, but 'clean label' does not mean 'unprocessed', and the preservative-category additives push it into ultra-processed territory.

FSSAI licence

11522998000168

Manufacturer

Refer to batch number last two characters and scan QR code for unit address

Region

Source

MANUAL

Analysis

Independently researched