After rice, corn cakes are also among the most loved and widespread cereal-based snacks on our tables: crunchy, light and often chosen as an alternative to bread or as a mid-day snack. But even in this case, not all biscuits are the same. The new survey by Altroconsumo, which analyzed over 130 products including biscuits and cereal-based snacks, demonstrates that quality varies greatly from one brand to another, and that it is always the overall composition of the product that makes the difference.
The same warning valid for the entire category also applies to corn cakes: they are ultra-processed foods. This does not mean that they should be avoided, but that it is better not to automatically consider them “light” or healthy, and not to permanently replace them with less processed foods such as wholemeal bread or grain cereals.
How the test was conducted
Altroconsumo analyzed the ingredients and nutritional values of over 130 biscuits and triangles made from rice, corn, legumes and other cereals, including sweet versions. Each product has been assigned a score from 0 to 100, calculated through an algorithm that takes into account various parameters:
Based on the score obtained, the products are classified on a scale ranging from “very good” to “very poor”, to help consumers navigate the supermarket shelves more easily.
The ranking of corn cakes
Here is how the corn cakes analyzed by Altroconsumo positioned themselves:
Very good
Good
Acceptable
The best ever: VIVO MELLIO (MD)
Leading the ranking of corn cakes are the VIVO MEGLIO (MD) Corn Cakes, the only ones to reach the “very good” range with 81 points, clearly outpacing all the other products tested. Immediately below, in the “good” range, there is a very large and compact group of biscuits – including well-known brands and private labels from supermarkets such as Conad, Carrefour, Lidl, Esselunga, Pam, Coop and Fiorentini – which range between 70 and 74 points, a sign of a rather homogeneous nutritional quality in this category.
Closing the ranking, with a clear gap from the rest of the group, are the RISO SCOTTI Maisenza Mais with White Corn, which stop at 46 points, placing themselves in the “acceptable” range: a result that is worth keeping in mind when purchasing.
How to choose the best corn cakes
Corn biscuits are also suitable for very versatile consumption: they can replace bread at the table, become a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, or be enjoyed alone or accompanied by spreadable cheese and jam. To best navigate the shelves, the advice is always to read the label carefully, favoring products with few ingredients, without superfluous additives and with a good intake of fibre, remembering that, since these are ultra-processed foods, it is best to include them in a varied and balanced diet without abusing them.
