DukesBiscuits & Cookies#27 of 28 in categoryRating 1.3/5

Dukes Waffy Vanilla Wafers

Red flags

  • Red flag: Contains Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
  • Red flag: High added sugar (36.3g per 100g)
  • Red flag: High saturated fat (12.3g)
  • Red flag: Refined flour (maida) base

Green flags

  • Green flag: Low sodium

Ingredients, decoded

11 listed
ConcernWorth watchingIn label order. Tap a highlighted one to learn more.

ED5

Nutrition per 100 g
ENutritionDIngredients5Risk
VerdictVERY POOR
Energy504.8 kcal
Protein3.4 g
Carbohydrates69 g
Total sugars36.3 g
Added sugars36.3 g
Total fat23.9 g
Saturated fat12.3 g
Trans fat0.1 g
Cholesterol0 mg
Sodium78.1 mg
Highlighted values exceed FSSAI and UK FSA front of pack thresholds.

Our take

CleanPlate review

Sugar-first vanilla wafers with hydrogenated fat

Dukes Waffy Vanilla Wafers are sugar, maida, maltodextrin, refined palm oil, "hydrogenated vegetable oil" and palm kernel oil, with lecithin, a raising agent and three flour treatment agents. A natural vanilla flavour is listed at 0.01%. The front says "flavoured creamy & crunchy wafers". The pack is 55 g.

CleanPlate scores it [R][L]ED5. The E for nutrition is low: almost no credited protein, fibre or micronutrients per 100 g. The D for ingredients reflects mostly refined or industrial ingredients (led by sugar, refined wheat flour and maltodextrin), with additives that cost points: sodium metabisulphite. A red flag (hydrogenated fat / vanaspati (unqualified)) cuts the score by 40%. The [L] marks a hollow label promise: the claim "With real vanilla extracts (alternate front design)" does not hold: "real vanilla extracts" is claimed on the front, but the list has only "Natural Vanilla Flavour (0.01%)". The 5 for risk comes mainly from free sugar (36.3 g per 100 g) and saturated fat (12.3 g per 100 g).

Claims vs reality

What the pack says, checked against the ingredient list and nutrition panel.

  • On the pack

    “Flavoured creamy & crunchy wafers”

    Holds

    The front says flavoured, and the list has a natural vanilla flavour at 0.01%.

  • On the pack

    “With real vanilla extracts (alternate front design)”

    Misleading

    The list has only "Natural Vanilla Flavour (0.01%)", not a vanilla extract; the other design says only "with real extracts".

How ED5 breaks down

Each grade is scored on its own. Here are the label numbers behind each one, per 100 g.

How we score →
01 Nutritional valueA to E
E

Very low nutrient density

Protein
3.4 g
Fibre
Not declared
Vitamins and minerals
None declared
Energy
505 kcal

Scored on protein, fibre and twelve vitamins and minerals, against the Codex and FSSAI "source" and "high" levels, per 100 g and per 100 kcal.

02 Ingredient & label integrityA to E
D

Heavily processed or flagged substances

Base
Sugar
Main fat
Refined Palm Oil
Sweeteners
Sugar, Maltodextrin
Additives
5
Flagged
4 ingredients

Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.

03 Risk nutrients1 to 5
5

Very high risk

Added sugar
36.3 g
Sodium
78.1 mg
Saturated fat
12.3 g
Trans fat
0.1 g

Scored on free sugar, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat, each weighed by how strong the evidence of harm is.

[R] Contains an ingredient on our red-flag list (such as a partially hydrogenated oil or a flagged synthetic dye), which cuts the ingredient grade.

[L] The name or pack claims promise more than the ingredient list delivers. See Claims vs reality.

A closer look

Does the label add up?

Sugar, maida, maltodextrin, refined palm oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil, lecithin (322i), palm kernel oil, natural vanilla flavour 0.01%, salt, raising agent (500ii) and flour treatment agents (223, 1100, 1101).

Per 100 g: 505 kcal, 23.9 g fat of which 12.3 g saturated, 36.3 g sugar of which 36.3 g added, 3.4 g protein, 78.1 mg sodium. Read from the pack image: the ingredients and the panel match the listing. "Hydrogenated vegetable oil" has no partial or fully qualifier, so it is scored as partially hydrogenated oil (red flag) and the declared 0.1 g of trans fat is not accepted, until the pack or the maker confirms. No fibre line; the net weight 55 g is from the listing.

Ingredients to watch

  • Hydrogenated vegetable oilConcern

    Scored as partially hydrogenated: a red flag that cuts the ingredient score by 40%.

  • Sugar firstConcern

    36.3 g of added sugar per 100 g.

  • Saturated fatWorth watching

    12.3 g per 100 g, from palm, palm kernel and hydrogenated oil.

  • Sodium metabisulphite (223)Worth watching

    A sulphite flour treatment agent; the pack carries a sulphite allergen note.

Common misconceptions

Myth: "Real extracts means real vanilla"

Only a trace of natural vanilla flavour (0.01%) is listed.

Myth: "0.1 g of trans fat is nothing"

A hydrogenated oil is listed, so the printed figure cannot be taken at face value and the score is provisional.

How often, and how

  • Healthy adultsRarely
  • ChildrenRarely
  • Diabetes or prediabetesLimit strictly

Smarter ways to eat it

A wafer or two

The whole 55 g pack is about 278 kcal.

Swap

A small handful of nuts or a banana gives energy with less sugar.

Common questions

Is Dukes Waffy Vanilla Wafers healthy?

Dukes Waffy Vanilla Wafers scores ED5 (Very Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it one of the weakest products we've rated and worth swapping out. The main concerns are: Contains Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil; High added sugar (36.3g per 100g); High saturated fat (12.3g); Refined flour (maida) base. On the plus side: Low sodium.

What does the ED5 score mean?

The first letter (E) grades nutritional value: very low nutrient density. The second letter (D) grades ingredient and label integrity: heavily processed or flagged substances. The number (5) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): very high risk.

Which ingredients in Dukes Waffy Vanilla Wafers should I watch?

Refined Wheat Flour (Maida) (Maida), Maltodextrin (Maltodextrin), Refined Palm Oil (Palm oil), Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil).

Last reviewed October 10, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.

Better Biscuits & Cookies

All 28 →