The Saturday Telegraph, 30 April 2005
SAVVY SHOPPER
Rose Prince on how to buy good food with peace of mind
and a clear conscience. This week: biscuits
Tea and biscuits are a deeply ingrained part of our culture and the very longevity
of some brands shows just how hard our biscuit habits are to break. Who, for
example, remembers a time when Bourbon Creams did not exist?
But the biscuit world may be about to change. Next year new labelling laws come into play in the US that will send shockwaves through Britain's biscuit makers. The issue is trans fats, found commonly in hydrogenated fat (a prime ingredient in mass-produced biscuits) and linked to a host of health troubles.
What should biscuits be made of?
A sweet plain biscuit, such as shortbread, ought only to be made of butter, sugar and flour. Varying the ratio of these ingredients affects the texture: high butter content makes the biscuit crumbly and rich; a greater ratio of starch (from flour) delivers a harder drier type.
It's unusual to see butter listed among a pack's ingredients. In its place will be the dreaded hydrogenated fat and a wealth of other additives designed to colour, flavour and preserve.
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Surely butter is no healthier?
Evidence is emerging that butter is more nutritious than hydrogenated fat. Eating large quantities is not recommended, but as a fat butter has many benefits. It contains ''true'' vitamins, which are fat soluble and therefore easily absorbed and more potent. The saturated fat in butter is anti-viral and anti-microbial. In addition, butter aids digestion and the lauric acid in it helps prevent tooth decay.
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What else do biscuits contain?
Sugar and often plenty of it. If the sugar is refined it has so-called ''empty'' calories, in other words no nutritional value. Buy biscuits made with unrefined cane sugar or fruit sugars. Look out for salt content; this may be marked as types of sodium, and is nearly three times stronger than salt. Recommended salt intake is 6g per day - that's approximately 20 digestives.
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Where can I buy biscuits with 'real' ingredients?
Honeybuns (01963 23597; www.honeybuns.co.uk)
Highly recommended for children. Made with local eggs and butter, and gluten-free
grain. Direct delivery.
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