Golden Wonder Ringos Salt and Vinegar Crisps, 6 x 12.5g

Ringos are the light, crunchy rings from Golden Wonder, made from potato with wheat and rye, and Salt and Vinegar is the sharp, very salty one. This is the multipack of six 12.5g bags, 75g in all, and the pack gives figures for each bag. The full product name on the pack is salt and vinegar flavour potato, wheat and rye snacks, and the maker on the label is Golden Wonder Ltd.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the rings are made from potato powder and potato starch, wheat flour and wheat starch, sunflower oil, a salt and vinegar flavour seasoning (salt, an acidity regulator, sodium diacetate, wheat flour with calcium carbonate, iron, niacin and thiamin, lactose from milk, dextrose, a flavour enhancer, monosodium glutamate, whey powder from milk, and citric acid), rye flour, salt and turmeric.

Rings

Ringos are made from a dough of potato powder and starch, with wheat and rye, formed into small rings. They are light and crunchy, with a hole in the middle.

Potato, wheat and rye

The full product name says potato, wheat and rye snacks: potato leads, wheat flour and starch follow, and rye flour sits near the end. The wheat and rye are why the rings contain gluten.

The vinegar

There is no vinegar on the list: the tang comes from sodium diacetate, made from acetic acid, the acid of vinegar, and citric acid. It is a sharp, powdery vinegar hit.

Salt first

Salt leads the seasoning and appears again near the end of the list. The label gives 3.47g of salt per 100g and 0.43g in a 12.5g bag, red on the front of pack scale and more than twice the red line.

One of the saltiest

At 3.47g of salt per 100g, these are one of the saltiest snacks we stock, against 1.73g in the Cheese and Onion Ringos. A small bag holds 0.43g.

Lactose and whey

Lactose and whey powder, both from milk, carry the seasoning and soften the sharpness. They are why a salt and vinegar snack contains milk.

Monosodium glutamate

Monosodium glutamate strengthens the savoury taste under the salt and vinegar. This bag does contain MSG.

Turmeric

Turmeric, the last ingredient, gives the rings their pale golden colour. The pack says there are no artificial colours or preservatives.

Numbers for one bag

The label gives 61 kcal (256 kJ), 2.9g of fat, 0.4g of saturates, 8.2g of carbohydrate, 0.3g of sugars, 0.1g of fibre, 0.5g of protein and 0.43g of salt for each 12.5g bag. That is about 3% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 4% of the fat and 7% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

Per 100g the label gives 489 kcal (2048 kJ), 23.3g of fat, 3g of saturates, 65.4g of carbohydrate, 2.1g of sugars, 1.1g of fibre, 3.9g of protein and 3.47g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 23.3g is red. Saturates at 3g are amber. Sugars at 2.1g are green. Salt at 3.47g is red.

Potato powder and starch

Potato powder, dried potato ground fine, and potato starch lead the list and give the rings their light, airy texture.

Wheat flour and starch

Wheat flour and wheat starch bind the dough and help it hold its ring shape.

Rye flour

Rye flour adds a little earthy depth; rye is one of the cereals containing gluten under UK allergen rules.

Dextrose

Dextrose, a simple sugar, rounds out the seasoning. The label gives 2.1g of sugars per 100g, green on the front of pack scale.

Carbohydrate and fibre

The label gives 65.4g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 2.1g are sugars; the rest is starch from the potato and the wheat. Fibre is 1.1g and protein 3.9g per 100g.

Wheat in the seasoning

The seasoning itself carries wheat flour, fortified with calcium carbonate, iron, niacin and thiamin, as UK wheat flour is.

Trade marks

The listing notes that Ringos and Golden Wonder are registered trade marks.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight wheat, in the wheat flours and starch, rye, in the rye flour, and milk, in the lactose and whey powder. The published listing gives no may contain advice. The pack says the rings are suitable for vegetarians; they are not vegan, and they are not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten or milk. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Six small bags

Six 12.5g bags make a school week of lunchboxes with one to spare, and the listing counts them as six servings.

Once opened

The pack advises a cool, dry place and says to eat the rings as soon as the bag is open.

Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is the only oil on the list, and the label gives 3g of saturates per 100g, amber.

The pack

The blue outer bag carries the Golden Wonder starburst, the white Ringos name with a ring for the O, a line reading 61 calories per pack, a large 6 pack mark, two rings and the words salt and vinegar.

Who it suits

A sharp, very salty ring in a small bag suits anyone who likes a strong salt and vinegar hit. Anyone watching salt should note the 3.47g per 100g, and it is not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten, milk or MSG.

At a party

Tip a few bags into a bowl beside the Cheese and Onion Ringos for a party, with plenty of drinks on the table.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the rings make a sharp, salty crumb for fish goujons, so leave the salt out of the batter.

Other Ringos

We also stock Golden Wonder Ringos Cheese and Onion in the same six bag multipack.

The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.