For food-allergy shopping, check the exact pack’s declared allergens and ‘may contain’ statements against the eater’s established allergy plan before comparing calories. Of three shortlisted individual bags, Tesco lists Skips Prawn Cocktail at 71 kcal per 13.1 g pack, ASDA lists Frazzles at 97 kcal per 20 g pack, and Walkers lists Monster Munch Pickled Onion at 98 kcal per 20 g pack; each has allergen information that could rule it out for a particular shopper.
If you want a small savoury snack, check its declared and precautionary allergens against the eater’s established allergy plan before using calories to narrow the choice. The Food Standards Agency explains that ‘may contain’ labelling communicates possible unintended allergen presence.
Inner-bag figures make it possible to compare the portion you intend to eat. Tesco lists Skips Prawn Cocktail at 71 kcal per 13.1 g bag, ASDA lists Frazzles at 97 kcal per 20 g bag, and Walkers lists Monster Munch Pickled Onion at 98 kcal per 20 g bag.
Check the ingredient and allergen information on the exact flavour and pack supplied, including any ‘may contain’ statement. A familiar brand name is not a substitute for checking that pack against the eater’s requirements.
Start with allergen compatibility, then compare the calories in one inner bag. If maize content is part of the brief, check the ingredients rather than relying on the snack’s shape or category.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Allergen information | Read the exact pack’s ingredients, declared allergens and ‘may contain’ statements. Apply the eater’s established approach to precautionary labelling. | I need to rule out allergens that matter to the person eating the snack before comparing its calories. |
| Calories per bag | Match the calorie figure to the inner-bag weight. Tesco lists Skips at 71 kcal per 13.1 g bag; ASDA lists Frazzles at 97 kcal per 20 g bag; Walkers lists Monster Munch Pickled Onion at 98 kcal per 20 g bag. | For a single snack, I want to compare the bag I would eat, not mistake a per-100 g figure for a per-bag figure. |
| Ingredient base | Read the ingredient list if maize or corn content is important. Walkers lists potato starch first for Quavers Cheese, so a puffed texture alone does not establish a maize base. | I am specifically shopping for a maize snack and want to check what the product is made from. |
| Other nutrition details | Once products meet the eater’s allergen requirements, compare the stated serving sizes and nutrition figures on the same basis. ASDA lists 0.54 g salt in a 20 g bag of Frazzles. | Calories are not my only comparison; I also want to read the salt and other nutrition information for the portion I would eat. |
Tesco lists Skips Prawn Cocktail at 71 kcal per bag, but its allergy information says it may contain milk, soya and gluten. The calorie figure does not establish suitability for someone who needs to avoid them.
Set the eater’s allergen exclusions first. Compare calories only among packs that fit their established allergy plan.
Walkers lists potato starch first in Quavers Cheese. A similar shape or texture does not mean two snacks have the same ingredient base.
If maize content matters, read the whole ingredient list on the flavour and pack you intend to buy.
A brand name or an online listing is not the allergen statement on the particular pack supplied. The Food Standards Agency says food businesses must provide allergen information for ingredients.
Check the physical pack’s ingredients and allergen panel before it is eaten, particularly when buying a different flavour or pack size.
ASDA lists both 97 kcal and 0.54 g salt per 20 g bag of Frazzles. One nutrition figure does not describe everything on the label.
For snacks that meet the eater’s allergen requirements, compare serving size and the other nutrition figures that matter to your purchase.
Tesco lists Skips Prawn Cocktail as a 6 × 13.1 g multipack, with 71 kcal in each inner bag.
ASDA lists the Crispy Bacon multipack as six 20 g bags, each containing 97 kcal and 0.54 g salt.
Walkers lists Pickled Onion at 98 kcal per 20 g bag and includes maize in its ingredients.
Wotsits Cheese is another snack to assess by its exact flavour, serving size and pack label.
Walkers lists potato starch first for Quavers Cheese and gives 86 kcal per 16 g serving.
These options include portioned corn snacks and popcorn. Check each exact pack’s calories, ingredients and allergen information against the eater’s requirements; the products do not all have the same flavour or snack format.
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The individual bags give you a stated portion to compare with other savoury snacks. ASDA lists 97 kcal and 0.54 g salt per 20 g bag. The product contains milk and soya; check the pack’s precautionary allergen wording for wheat, barley, celery and mustard against the eater’s requirements.
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These 10 g bags offer a popcorn format rather than a puffed crisp-style snack. Check the exact pack’s calorie figure and any precautionary wording concerning milk, gluten-containing cereals and soya before deciding whether it fits the eater’s requirements.
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This corn-snack multipack has individual 20 g bags. If you are comparing calories per bag, read the figure on the exact pack; also check its allergen information for barley, soya and wheat against the eater’s requirements.
Check the exact pack’s ingredients, declared allergens and any ‘may contain’ statement before comparing calories. Match that information to the eater’s established allergy plan; the Food Standards Agency says food businesses must provide information about regulated allergens used as ingredients.
No safety conclusion follows from the ingredient list alone. The Food Standards Agency explains that precautionary allergen labelling communicates possible unintended presence of a regulated allergen, so assess the wording using the allergic person’s established management plan.
Quavers Cheese does not fit a strict maize-based choice: Walkers lists potato starch first in its ingredients. Check the exact product’s ingredients if maize content is important to your purchase.
Of the three shortlisted individual bags compared here, Tesco lists Skips Prawn Cocktail at 71 kcal per 13.1 g bag, below ASDA’s 97 kcal per 20 g bag of Frazzles and Walkers’ 98 kcal per 20 g bag of Monster Munch Pickled Onion. That comparison does not establish allergy suitability: Tesco says Skips may contain milk, soya and gluten.