Man warns of 'dangerous' palm oil in Kurkure; this is what happened next

Packaged foods are always referred to as unhealthy, and one must avoid consuming them at all costs. In recent news, a man alleged that Kurkure contains "very different ingredients" in two cities.

He claimed that in Delhi, Kurkure uses “dangerous” palmolein (palm oil), while a packet from Bengaluru doesn't.In a viral Linkedin post, Vedant Khanduja, former Marketer at Ola Electric, said, “Same Kurkure. Two cities. Two very different ingredients. Delhiites, you might be consuming something dangerous.”https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vedantkhanduja_labelpadhegaindia-kurkure-chips-activity-7368927418234912768-u5NB?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAVTU8IBKAnO0v580kycRM95q8wWqnWn_r8In his post, he mentioned that he bought Kurkure in both cities only to find that the pack he bought in Bengaluru had no Palmolein, but the one in Delhi did. “I read the Kurkure label, no 'Palmolein'. Back in Delhi, I bought again. This time, Palmolein was right there on the pack,” he wrote.He further raised the concern an wrote, "Why is PepsiCo India quietly removing Palmolein in Bangalore but still selling it in Delhi?" and another point of his post was "Do brands assume Delhiites don’t read labels, or that they’ll eat anything without asking?"

He added, "Palmolein is one of the cheapest, most processed oils available, linked to health risks. If Bangalore gets a “better” version of Kurkure, why not Delhi too? Why not everywhere? "This isn’t just about a snack. It’s about fairness, transparency, and holding brands accountable."

After Vedant Khanduja questioned that brand's unfair practice, PepsiCo India reportedly reached out to him to clarify that Palmolein has been removed from all Kurkure batches produced after August, which he duly mentioned in his post and appreciated the quick response and transparency.Therefore, he said, the difference he observed was likely due to older stocks still in the market.What happens when you consume Palmolein?According to a study, it is rich in saturated fatty acids (mainly palmitic acid) and oleic acid, which can cause cardiovascular risk. A randomized controlled trial with healthy young adults found that partial replacement of dietary oil with palmolein did not significantly affect cardiovascular risk markers such as lipid profiles, serum oxidative stress levels, inflammatory factors, or glucose metabolism. As per experts, heated or repeatedly used palmolein may produce harmful oxidation products leading to oxidative stress and tissue damage.