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- Sugar
- Refined Wheat Flour (Maida)
- Maltodextrin
- Refined Palm Oil
- Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
- Emulsifier [ins 322 (I)]
- Refined Palm Kernel Oil
- Natural Vanilla Flavour (0.01%)
- Iodized Salt
- Raising Agent [ins 500 (Ii)]
- Flour Treatment Agents (Ins 223, Ins 1100, Ins 1101)
ED5
Our take
CleanPlate reviewSugar-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 packHolds
“Flavoured creamy & crunchy wafers”
The front says flavoured, and the list has a natural vanilla flavour at 0.01%.
- On the packMisleading
“With real vanilla extracts (alternate front design)”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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