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The Health Factory

Zero Maida Garlic Bread

Name: Zero Maida Garlic Bread
Brand: The Health Factory

Use in moderation SafeShelf · review pending

NOVA 4zero maidahigh fiberno palm oilno artificial coloursno chemical preservativessource of proteinlactose-freepregnancy-safenut-freeenjoy in moderation

Serving

26 g

Pack

156 g

Ingredients

Barcode

8908009059314

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

Seasoning (Garlic Powder, Dried Garlic, Onion Powder, Chilli Flakes, Basil, Parsley, Oregano)Cleared

Iodised 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.

7/8

claims fully supported

“Zero Maida”true

Ingredient list shows Chakki Fresh Atta (Whole Wheat Flour) as the primary ingredient; no refined wheat flour (maida/refined flour) appears anywhere in the ingredient list.

“No Chemical Preservatives”true

No synthetic preservatives (e.g., calcium propionate, sodium benzoate) are listed. Cultured wheat flour is used, which is a fermented-flour ingredient that functions as a natural/clean-label mould inhibitor — not a 'chemical' preservative in the conventional regulatory sense, so the claim is technically defensible.

“No Colours”true

No added colouring agents — natural or artificial — appear in the ingredient list.

“No Palm Oil”true

The only oil listed is Rice Bran Oil (Edible Vegetable Oil). Palm oil is absent.

“No Emulsifiers”true

No emulsifier ingredients or E-number emulsifiers appear in the ingredient list.

“Low Sugar & Low Fat”true

Total sugar is 4.34 g/100 g (≤5 g/100 g threshold for 'low sugar' under FSSAI norms) and total fat is 2.48 g/100 g (≤3 g/100 g threshold for 'low fat' for solid foods). Both qualify.

“Source of Protein & Fibre”true

Protein is 12.05 g/100 g (~19.7% of energy from protein, meeting FSSAI 'source of protein' criteria of ≥10% energy); dietary fibre is 6.9 g/100 g, well above the 3 g/100 g 'source of fibre' threshold.

“Clean Label Promise”unverified

'Clean label' has no legal or regulatory definition under FSSAI, EFSA, or FDA. While the product avoids synthetic additives, it uses cultured wheat flour as a preservative — a common clean-label workaround — and contains added wheat gluten. The claim reflects a marketing positioning that cannot be objectively verified against a defined standard.

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

Made entirely with whole wheat flour — zero refined maida
Good dietary fibre: 6.9 g per 100 g
Solid protein content: 12.05 g per 100 g (~20% of energy)
Zero trans fat and very low saturated fat (0.5 g/100 g)
No palm oil; uses rice bran oil instead
No artificial colours, emulsifiers, or synthetic preservatives declared

Working against

NOVA 4 ultra-processed due to cultured wheat flour preservative
Moderate sodium: 404.6 mg/100 g — adds up across servings
Contains added wheat gluten, unsuitable for gluten-intolerant consumers
Cane sugar present (added sugar 2.17 g/100 g)
High-FODMAP herbs (garlic, onion) may aggravate IBS symptoms
Chilli flakes unsuitable for young children and infants

Who should approach with care

Gluten Intolerance — Contains whole wheat flour, added wheat gluten, and cultured wheat flour — all of which contain gluten and will trigger autoimmune intestinal damage in individuals with celiac disease; strict lifelong avoidance is mandatory.

Other — Individuals with IgE-mediated wheat allergy must avoid this product entirely, as wheat gluten, whole wheat flour, and cultured wheat flour can trigger reactions ranging from urticaria to anaphylaxis; wheat is a mandatory declared allergen under FSSAI.

Infants — Chilli flakes are contraindicated for infants (immature GI tract, no capsaicin tolerance); iodised salt adds sodium inappropriate for immature renal function; high-fibre wheat products are not suitable for infants under 12 months.

Ibs — Multiple high-FODMAP ingredients — whole wheat flour (fructans), garlic powder, dehydrated garlic, onion powder (fructooligosaccharides), and cane sugar — can collectively trigger bloating, cramping, and altered bowel habits in IBS patients.

Ibd — Wheat gluten may aggravate intestinal barrier dysfunction during active flares, and the garlic, onion, and chilli ingredients can further irritate inflamed gastrointestinal mucosa in individuals with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Diabetes — Whole wheat flour and cane sugar both raise postprandial blood glucose; while lower GI than maida, each serving still contributes 11.28 g carbohydrates and requires careful counting for individuals managing type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Hypertension — Sodium content of 404.6 mg/100 g (105 mg per serving) from iodised salt is a meaningful contribution toward the WHO daily limit of 2,000 mg; multiple servings could materially elevate blood pressure in hypertensive individuals.

Kidney Disease — Elevated sodium from iodised salt and phosphorus/potassium from whole wheat flour may compound fluid and electrolyte challenges for individuals with chronic kidney disease on dietary restrictions.

Heart Disease — Dietary sodium from iodised salt promotes fluid retention and cardiovascular load; garlic at supplemental doses potentiates anticoagulants; patients on sodium-restricted or anticoagulant regimens should consult their physician.

Thyroid Disease — Iodised salt provides iodine that can precipitate iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis or worsen autoimmune thyroid conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Graves' disease in susceptible individuals.

Pregnancy — Iodine requirements rise during pregnancy and iodised salt alone may be insufficient or excessive depending on overall diet; concentrated garlic and herb ingredients at culinary doses are generally safe but high-dose effects are poorly studied.

Lactation — Lactating women have elevated iodine requirements (200 µg/day per EFSA) and should have a clinician assess whether iodised-salt intake from the overall diet — including this product — adequately meets but does not exceed those needs.

Children — Chilli flakes can cause nausea, abdominal pain, and burning diarrhoea in young children; cane sugar contributes to dental caries and excess energy in a demographic already flagged by WHO for high free-sugar susceptibility.

Gout — Yeast is among the richest dietary sources of purines (metabolised to uric acid), and the fructose moiety of cane sugar can elevate serum urate, collectively increasing the risk of gout flares in predisposed individuals.

Migraine — Chilli flakes are a recognised dietary migraine trigger in susceptible individuals through TRPV1-mediated neuropeptide release; individuals who identify spicy foods as a personal trigger should exercise caution.

The full analysis

This product targets health-conscious Indian consumers who enjoy garlic bread but want to avoid maida, artificial additives, and palm oil. On those fronts it largely delivers — whole wheat atta is the base, rice bran oil replaces palm oil, and the herb-forward seasoning is free of artificial colours or emulsifiers. However, the inclusion of cultured wheat flour (a fermented-flour preservative) pushes the product into NOVA 4 ultra-processed territory despite its 'clean label' positioning, and moderate sodium (404 mg/100 g) deserves attention for those on restricted diets. The single most useful takeaway: this is a meaningfully better garlic bread than a maida-based equivalent, but it is still a processed product with notable sodium and added wheat gluten, and anyone with gluten intolerance must avoid it entirely.

FSSAI licence

11522998000168

Region

Source

MANUAL

Analysis

Independently researched