Shoppers comparing fat claims
A percentage reduction tells you what a product is compared with, not its total fat content. Check the reference product, fat per 100g and the amount in the bag you plan to eat.
Who is this choice for?
The useful comparison changes depending on whether you care most about a stated fat reduction, individual bags or the ingredients in a particular flavour.
People planning lunches and individual snacks
Individual bags make the labelled portion easy to identify. Compare their weights before treating per-bag nutrition figures as equivalent.
Shoppers checking allergens
Ingredients and precautionary warnings can differ between flavours. Read the exact product information before ordering and check the label on the delivered pack.
What should you compare?
Start with the claim and its comparison product, then use the nutrition panel and bag weight to judge the quantity you intend to eat. Check the exact flavour before adding it to an online order.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat claim | Read the stated percentage and its reference product. Compare fat in g per 100g; a relative reduction is different from an absolute low-fat figure. | I want to know what “less fat” is being compared with, rather than choosing by the percentage alone. |
| Nutrition across flavours | Compare energy, saturates and salt on the same per-100g basis, then check the intended serving. Use the panel for the specific flavour. | If salt or another labelled value matters to me, I need the figures for the flavour I am ordering. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the exact-flavour ingredients and any “contains” or “may contain” statements. Check the delivered packaging as well. | A reduced-fat claim does not answer my ingredient or allergen question. |
| Bag size and style | Check individual-bag weight and the number of bags. Identify whether the product is a potato crisp, lentil snack or another style rather than inferring its fat content from its name. | For lunches, separate bags may suit my plans; for sharing, I need to work out the portion I expect to take from a larger bag. |
What can make labels misleading?
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Taking “50% less fat” to mean “low fat”
Walkers lists 13g fat per 100g for Oven Baked Sea Salt. The NHS describes low-fat food as containing no more than 3g fat per 100g, so the Walkers comparison does not make that flavour low fat.
Read the comparison product and the fat figure per 100g together.
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Comparing only the amount per bag
An 18g bag and a 22g bag contain different quantities of food. Their per-bag fat figures alone do not show how the products compare at equal weights.
Compare per 100g first, then use the bag or serving figure for the amount you expect to eat.
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Assuming lentil or baked means reduced fat
Tyrrells makes a specific comparison for its lentil crisps against an average of standard potato crisps. A snack’s ingredients or preparation style alone do not establish the same claim for another product.
Look for a stated comparison, or use the nutrition panel without assuming a percentage reduction.
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Using one flavour’s label for another
Ingredients and warnings vary by flavour. Tyrrells’ Sour Cream & Onion lentil-crisp product page and its separate lentil nutrition page also give different salt figures for that flavour.
Check exact-flavour information before checkout and use the delivered pack for the applicable ingredients and nutrition figures.
Brand and product-line references
These examples describe particular ranges or flavours, not every product a brand makes or what is available for an individual delivery.
Walkers
Oven Baked Sea Salt and Cheese & Onion are potato snacks listed in 22g bags.
- Walkers says both flavours have 50% less fat than regular potato crisps; each product page lists 13g fat per 100g and 2.8g per 22g bag.
- That comparison does not mean low fat. Check the allergen advice for the flavour ordered.
Tyrrells
Its lentil crisps offer a different base from conventional potato crisps.
- Tyrrells claims 30% less fat than standard potato crisps on average, based on a review of products on sale in March 2021.
- Its pages give differing nutrition figures for Sour Cream & Onion. Check the delivered pack for precise figures; the product page lists whey powder (milk).
Seabrook
Its checked lentil puffs and hoops come in individual bags.
- Seabrook lists 3.1g fat per 18g bag of Really Cheesy Lentil Puffs and 2.6g per 17g bag of Sour Cream & Chive Lentil Hoops.
- Those per-bag figures do not establish a percentage reduction against potato crisps. Check flavour-specific allergen warnings.
Kettle Chips
Lightly Salted provides a hand-cooked potato-crisp style to compare with other options.
- Kettle Chips lists 29.5g fat per 100g for the checked Lightly Salted product.
- That figure belongs to this product, not the whole Kettle Chips range.
McCoy's
Original Salted is a ridged potato-crisp option.
- McCoy's lists 32g fat and 1.3g salt per 100g for Original Salted.
- Use those figures for this flavour only; check another flavour’s own panel before comparing it.
Real Crisps
Real Crisps describes its potato crisps as hand-cooked.
- This provides a conventional potato-crisp style to consider alongside baked or lentil snacks.
- Check an individual product’s nutrition panel before making a fat comparison.
Crisp options on Joybuy
These options include individual-bag multipacks and an 85g sharing bag. Compare their labelled fat figures and exact-flavour ingredients rather than assuming a popped or baked style has the same fat claim as another product.
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PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 5 x 17g
Five individual 17g bags provide a defined bag size for lunches or separate snacks. Check the exact pack’s fat and allergen information before choosing it for a reduced-fat order.
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Walkers Oven Baked Variety Pack 6 x 22g
Six individual 22g bags offer a variety of flavours for separate lunches or snacks. Read each flavour’s nutrition and allergen information rather than applying one flavour’s label to the whole pack.
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Walkers Oven Baked Cheese & Onion 6 x 22g
This six-pack keeps the choice to one flavour, with 22g in each bag. Walkers says its Oven Baked Cheese & Onion crisps have 50% less fat than regular potato crisps and lists 13g fat per 100g; check the delivered pack’s allergen information.
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PopChips Barbecue 5 x 17g
Five individual 17g bags suit an order planned around separate portions. If comparing it with another crisp for fat or salt, use the exact Barbecue pack’s per-100g figures and allergen statements.
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PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 85g
This 85g bag is a different format from the individual-bag multipack of the same flavour. If you expect to eat only part of it, compare nutrition per 100g and use your intended portion when reading the pack.
Frequently asked questions
Does “reduced fat” mean “low fat”?
No. A reduction compares one product with another; the NHS describes low-fat food as containing no more than 3g fat per 100g. Walkers lists 13g per 100g for Oven Baked Sea Salt despite its stated reduction against regular potato crisps.
How should I compare different bag sizes?
Compare fat and other nutrients per 100g first, then use the per-bag or per-serving figures for the quantity you expect to eat. A smaller bag does not, by itself, show that its contents have less fat at equal weights.
What food information should I check before ordering crisps online?
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutrition for the exact flavour. UK guidance from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Food Standards Agency says online sellers must make required food information available free before purchase, except durability and freezing dates; check the delivered label as well.