Why do manufacturers make products in smaller packs? Could it be to make your life easier and make the product more convenient and cheaper? You know, so you can tear, pour, shake and drink. No serious effort really on your part. But why is it cheaper? Could it be the ingredients? Are they not as healthy as the main products?
Last week I received 3 complimentary packs of Nescafe Breakfast 3 in 1. I opened 1 sachet and poured the content into a mug with hot water. I took a sip and regretted my action immediately. I managed to swallow that first sip.
It was a taste I could not describe.
What I had in my cup looked like watery milk.
For the rest of the day I had an upset stomach.
I took my time to read the label and this is what I found.
Take a look:
Ingredients inside Nescafe Breakfast 3 in 1:
- Coffee creamer ( Tapioca syrup, Hydrogenated palm kernel fat, Acidity regulators (E340ii, E451i, E452i, E4531iii)
- Sodium Caseinate ( Milk protein)
- Emulsifiers (E471, E472e)
- Milk Flavor
- Anti caking agent (E551) Salt
- Sucrose
- Instant coffee
- Salt
That is a total of 8 ingredients.
But what are they?
1. Coffee creamer – inside the coffee creamer you have the following:
Tapioca syrup – Tapioca syrup is made from cassava tuber. Cassava tuber is used in making other products like tapioca flakes (Abacha).
Tapioca syrup is made by grinding cassava into starch and using enzymes to break it down into syrup that is sweet.
¼ cup of tapioca syrup contains 168 calories. It is interesting to note that ¼ cup of granulated sugar contains 194 calories.
A serving of Tapioca syrup has 42 grams of sugar while a serving of sugar contains 50 grams of sugar
Tapioca syrup is available in powdered solids or in liquid form
It is basically filled with calories and sugar just like the normal table sugar.
Hydrogenated palm kernel fat – What? This is a nice cover up name for trans fat. I cannot talk enough about the danger of hydrogenated fat. To also find it in coffee when there are steps being taken by some countries to eliminate hydrogenated fat completely from food products is painful.
The American Heart Association warns that hydrogenated fat should be avoided or eliminated from your diet as it is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, immune system dysfunction and is the major cause of heart attack.
Hydrogenation is a process that turns liquid oils into solids by adding hydrogen and nickel to it. The process hardens the oil and turns it to hydrogenated fat or trans fat. This is the same process used in making margarine.
Acidity regulators- acid regulators are generally added to food to maintain the PH ( acidity and alkalinity of food). The 3 in 1 coffee came armed with 4 acidity regulators. They are:
E340ii – Dipotassium hydrogen phosphate. This is a food additive that prevents foods especially beverages from sticking together. It is also used as a fertilizer and is banned in the European Union
E451i – Sodium tripolyphosphate is used to retain moisture. It can be found in detergents. It helps products to easily dissolve in water.
E452i – Sodium hexametaphosphate – The main purpose of this is the phosphorous which keeps the mixture mixed together so that they do not settle at the bottom in clumps. It is also used for anti staining and tartar prevention in toothpaste.
E33iii –Trisodium citrate – is an acid regulator and emulsifying agent. It is also used in detergents and works to effectively remove scaling. It also acts as a laxative.
2. Sodium caseinate (milk protein) is a protein found in mammalian milk. It contains essential amino acids, phosphorous, calcium and sodium.
3. Emulsifiers (E471) – Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (glyceryl monostearate, glyceryl distearate) This is an anticaking agent mostly derived from plant and animal fat
E472e – Mono – and diglycerides of fatty acids. Provides taste and texture to products .
4. Milk flavor – This is a mixture of different flavors to get one that gives you milk flavor
5. Anti caking agent – E551 -These are food additives that prevent products from lumping together. It keeps powdered beverages flowing freely. This additive is harmful to humans. According to research, daily dietary intake of this additive is toxic to cell and may alter gene expression and cell cycle.
6. Sucrose is table sugar
7. Instant coffee – This is coffee powder made from brewed coffee beans
8. Salt – Salt is mined from underground salt deposit or from the evaporation of seawater. It usually contains additives that prevent clumping.
This is an unbelievable mixture of chemical cocktails that is supposed to be coffee and 1 sachet contains 148 calories.
One of the guidelines when listing food ingredients is that it should be done in descending order. What this means is that the ingredients that weighs most (that has the highest quantity) is listed first while the ingredients with the lowest quantity is listed last.
This means that in this sachet of 3 in1, with 8 ingredients, the coffee creamer with 4 different ingredients one of them very unhealthy is number 1, while the coffee that I am supposed to be drinking is number 7.
The pack actually said that it stimulates the body; I was stimulated alright, in all the wrong places. My stomach was upset; the taste was unbelievably sweet, tastes nothing like coffee, smells nothing like coffee and looks nothing like coffee. It was too watery. I do not know what this is.
It has some pros though. It is easily available, easy to consume and cheap.
The con is that it is filled with strange things that has no place inside your coffee.
No, I am not drinking this again even if my grocer decides to give me a carton of complimentary sachet packs.
My body deserves good things not chemical cocktails.
Have you ever taken this or other sachet coffee? What was your experience? Do share with us.
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