Travellers choosing a single snack
If you want one bag for the gate, flight or onward journey, check the weight of each inner bag rather than the total weight of a multipack. The named product ranges include individual bags from 22g to 40g.
Who is this for?
Shoppers comparing salt or fat
Pack sizes differ, so read the nutrition values for the serving you expect to eat. For example, Walkers lists 0.17g salt per 25g bag of Lightly Salted and 2.8g fat per 22g bag of Oven Baked Sea Salt.
Travellers with ingredient requirements
If a vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free label matters to you, check it on the exact flavour. Read its current ingredients and precautionary allergen statement too; a plain-sounding flavour name is not a substitute.
What should you check before buying?
Choose the bag size first, then compare the figures and labelling for that particular recipe. Before packing it, consider how easily you can reach it if security needs to inspect your hand luggage.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Read the weight of one inner bag and its declared serving size. Use per-bag energy alongside per-100g figures when comparing differently sized packs. | I want one bag for the journey, rather than opening a sharing pack. A 22g–25g bag is a smaller portion than a 35g–40g bag. |
| Salt and fat | Compare salt and fat on each product’s stated serving basis. Walkers lists 0.17g salt per 25g of Lightly Salted; its Oven Baked Sea Salt lists 2.8g fat per 22g. | If salt or fat is my concern, I want the figure for the bag I will eat. A claim about one Walkers recipe should not be applied to another flavour. |
| Ingredients and labels | Check the exact flavour’s ingredients, dietary claims and precautionary allergen wording on the current pack. The Food Standards Agency explains that precautionary allergen wording indicates possible unintended allergen presence. | A flavour name alone does not tell me whether the pack meets my ingredient or dietary requirements. |
| Security access | Keep hand-luggage food easy to reach. GOV.UK says food items can obstruct X-ray images and bags may need another manual check; check instructions for your airport and airline. | I would rather be able to take the bag out promptly if security asks to inspect it. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Comparing only the per-100g panel
Per-100g values help compare recipes, but they do not describe what is in differently sized bags. Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt is listed as a 22g serving, while Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted is listed as one 40g serving.
Check both the bag weight and the per-bag nutrition figures before deciding which portion you want.
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Treating one reduced-nutrient claim as a verdict on the whole pack
Walkers describes its Lightly Salted recipe as having 45% less salt than the average regular potato-crisp value and its Oven Baked Sea Salt recipe as having 50% less fat than regular potato crisps. Those are different claims about different recipes and serving sizes.
Compare the nutrient that matters to you, then read the remaining nutrition panel and ingredients for the exact product.
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Assuming plain salted means free from allergens
Named plain salted products can carry precautionary allergen wording. The Food Standards Agency explains that such wording communicates possible unintended allergen presence.
Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen statement, particularly when an allergy or intolerance affects your purchase.
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Packing food where it is hard to reach
GOV.UK says food in hand luggage can obstruct X-ray images and may lead to an additional manual check.
Keep the bag accessible, allow time for screening and check your airport’s and airline’s instructions before departure.
Which brands offer relevant options?
These are examples of named recipes and pack formats, not claims about every flavour in a brand’s range or what an airport shop stocks.
Walkers
Its named ranges include 25g Lightly Salted bags and 22g Oven Baked Sea Salt servings.
- Walkers lists 0.17g salt per 25g of Lightly Salted and 2.8g fat per 22g of Oven Baked Sea Salt.
- The manufacturer’s reduced-salt and lower-fat comparisons concern those respective recipes, not every Walkers flavour.
Tyrrells
Lightly Sea Salted is listed in 40g, 150g and 600g formats; the 40g pack is declared as one serving.
- Tyrrells lists 208 kcal, 11.7g fat and 0.26g salt for that 40g serving.
- Select the 40g format if you want an individual bag rather than one of the larger packs, and check its current allergen wording.
KETTLE Chips
KETTLE’s named Lightly Salted recipe is a plain salted option.
- KETTLE labels that recipe suitable for vegans and vegetarians and gluten-free.
- Check the format and the selected pack’s current labelling; the named product information concerns a case, not an airport-shop single bag.
Seabrook
The named crinkle-cut examples include a 31.8g Sea Salted bag and a 25g Canadian Ham bag.
- Seabrook labels Sea Salted suitable for vegans and vegetarians and gluten-free, with 0.4g salt per 31.8g bag.
- Canadian Ham is a different recipe and pack size; check its own ingredients and dietary labels rather than carrying over Sea Salted’s claims.
Pipers
Pipers offers a named Anglesey Sea Salt recipe alongside differently seasoned flavours.
- Pipers labels Anglesey Sea Salt gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- Those recipe-specific labels should be checked separately for any other Pipers flavour.
REAL Crisps
REAL Sea Salt is listed in 35g bags sold as a case of 24.
- REAL labels Sea Salt suitable for vegetarians and states that its range is vegetarian and gluten-free.
- Check the selected flavour’s current ingredients and allergen information; a case listing does not establish airport-shop availability.
Joybuy multipacks with individual bags
These multipacks contain individually sized bags that you could choose for a journey. Compare the exact flavour and inner-bag size: the Hula Hoops option is a shaped potato snack rather than a conventional sliced potato crisp.
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Walkers 45% Less Salt Mild Cheese & Onion, 6 x 25g
Six 25g bags provide individual portions. This is a cheese-and-onion flavour, not the plain Lightly Salted recipe; compare the salt figure on this pack rather than applying the plain recipe’s figure to it. Check its milk and precautionary allergen information if relevant.
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Walkers Oven Baked Variety Pack, 6 x 22g
The 22g inner bags offer a smaller portion than the 35g–40g examples in this guide. The variety pack includes Sea Salt, Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar; check the nutrition and allergen details of the flavour you choose rather than applying Sea Salt’s figures to the whole pack. These baked snacks use potato flakes and starch rather than sliced potato.
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Walkers Salt & Shake Crisps, 6 x 24g
Each 24g bag has a separate salt sachet, so you can decide whether to add it. That is different from buying a recipe with a stated reduced-salt comparison; check the pack’s nutrition figures and precautionary allergen wording.
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Walkers Ready Salted Crisps, 6 x 25g
The multipack contains six individual 25g bags. Walkers lists 130 kcal and 0.34g salt per 25g serving for Ready Salted. Read the current pack’s precautionary allergen statement if it affects your choice.
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Hula Hoops Cheese & Onion, 6 x 24g
Six 24g bags offer individual portions if you prefer a ring-shaped potato snack. This is made with potato starch and dried potato rather than being a sliced potato crisp. It contains milk; check the current pack for its other allergen information.
Questions about crisps for airport travel
Can I take crisps through UK airport security?
GOV.UK’s hand-luggage guidance does not address crisps by name, but it says food items can obstruct X-ray images and may require another manual check. Keep the bag easy to inspect, allow time for screening and check the instructions for your airport and airline.
Should I compare nutrition per 100g or per bag?
Use per-bag figures to understand the portion you plan to eat, and per-100g figures to compare recipes on the same weight basis. Walkers lists 96 kcal, 2.8g fat and 0.19g salt for a 22g Oven Baked Sea Salt serving; Tyrrells lists 208 kcal, 11.7g fat and 0.26g salt for a 40g Lightly Sea Salted serving. The bags are different sizes, so their per-bag figures are not a comparison of equal quantities.
Does a plain salted flavour mean there is no allergen warning?
No. A plain flavour name does not settle the question of allergens, and named plain salted products can carry “may contain” wording. The Food Standards Agency explains that precautionary allergen wording indicates possible unintended presence; check the current pack’s ingredients and statement for the exact recipe.
Do vegan and gluten-free labels apply to every flavour from a brand?
Do not assume they do. KETTLE labels its Lightly Salted recipe gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians, while Seabrook gives those labels to Sea Salted. Check the selected flavour’s current pack rather than extending either claim across a range.