Mother Dairy Kesar Pista & Rabdi Matka Kulfi
Red flags
- −Red flag: High added sugar (15.2g per 100g)
- −Red flag: High saturated fat (9.8g)
Green flags
- +Green flag: Low sodium
Ingredients, decoded
7 listed- Water
- Milk Solids
- Sugar
- Pistachio (1.5%)
- Saffron (0.01%)
- Stabilizers and Emulsifiers (412, 410, 407, 471, 466, 435)
- Nature-Identical Flavouring Substances and Food Colours (122, 132, 110, 102)
Our take
CleanPlate reviewPistachio is 1.5%, with four synthetic dyes
Mother Dairy Kesar Pista & Rabdi Matka Kulfi is a 100 ml (53 g) matka kulfi of water, milk solids and sugar with pistachio (1.5%), saffron (0.01%), six stabilisers and emulsifiers, nature-identical flavouring and four synthetic colours (122, 132, 110, 102). The panel is printed per 100 g.
CleanPlate scores it [R][L]DD4. The D for nutrition is low: almost no credited protein, fibre or micronutrients per 100 g. The D for ingredients reflects a mix of whole and refined ingredients (led by milk solids, sugar and pistachio), with additives that cost points: carrageenan, carboxymethyl cellulose, flavouring and tartrazine. A red flag (Southampton Six x3+) cuts the score by 40%. The [L] marks a hollow label promise: pistachio is named on the pack but makes up only 1.5% of the product. The 4 for risk comes mainly from saturated fat (9.8 g per 100 g) and free sugar (15.2 g per 100 g).
Claims vs reality
What the pack says, checked against the ingredient list and nutrition panel.
- Product nameMisleading
“Kesar Pista & Rabdi Kulfi”
Pistachio is only 1.5% and saffron 0.01%, with four synthetic dyes and nature-identical flavouring doing the colour and taste.
- On the packPartly true
“100% milk ice cream”
Milk solids lead the list after water, but the list also has dyes, flavouring and six stabilisers and emulsifiers.
- On the packHolds
“Made with milk & milk constituents”
Milk solids are the second ingredient.
How DD4 breaks down
Each grade is scored on its own. Here are the label numbers behind each one, per 100 g.
Low nutrient density
- Protein
- 4.5 g
- Fibre
- Not declared
- Vitamins and minerals
- Calcium
- Energy
- 235 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
- Water
- Sweeteners
- Sugar
- Additives
- 7
- Flagged
- None
Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.
High risk
- Added sugar
- 15.2 g
- Sodium
- 97 mg
- Saturated fat
- 9.8 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?
Water, milk solids, sugar, pistachio (1.5%), saffron (0.01%), stabilisers and emulsifiers (412, 410, 407, 471, 466, 435) and nature-identical flavouring and colours (122, 132, 110, 102).
Per 100 g: 235 kcal, 13.5 g fat of which 9.8 g saturated, 21.9 g sugar of which 15.2 g added, 4.5 g protein, 97 mg sodium. The panel prints no trans fat line, so the label loses 2 points and the score is provisional (a missing risk value never improves the risk grade).
Ingredients to watch
- Synthetic dyesConcern
Four are listed (122, 132, 110, 102), three of them in the Southampton Six.
- Saturated fatConcern
9.8 g per 100 g, almost twice the 5 g high line.
- GumsWorth watching
Carrageenan and carboxymethyl cellulose cost 6 points each and the additives score is 0 of 25.
- Milk solidsFine
Milk solids come right after the water.
Common misconceptions
Myth: "Kesar pista kulfi is nutty and saffron-rich"
Pistachio is 1.5% and saffron 0.01%.
Myth: "100% milk means nothing else"
Four dyes and six stabilisers and emulsifiers are also listed.
How often, and how
- Healthy adultsOccasionally
- ChildrenRarely
- Diabetes or prediabetesLimit
Smarter ways to eat it
One matka
A 53 g matka is about 125 kcal.
Look for dyes
Four synthetic dyes are listed; a kulfi coloured only by saffron would avoid them.
Common questions
Is Mother Dairy Kesar Pista & Rabdi Matka Kulfi healthy?
Mother Dairy Kesar Pista & Rabdi Matka Kulfi scores DD4 (Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it best kept as a rare treat rather than a regular buy. The main concerns are: High added sugar (15.2g per 100g); High saturated fat (9.8g). On the plus side: Low sodium.
What does the DD4 score mean?
The first letter (D) grades nutritional value: low nutrient density. The second letter (D) grades ingredient and label integrity: heavily processed or flagged substances. The number (4) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): high risk.
Last reviewed October 17, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.
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