Jacob's Twiglets Snacks, 150g

Twiglets are the knobbly, twig shaped snack sticks from Jacob's, with a savoury, yeasty flavour all of their own. This is the 150g sharing bag, which the label divides into six 25g servings. The full product name on the pack is Crunchy Savoury Wholewheat Sticks.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the sticks are made from wholewheat flour (80%), vegetable oils (sunflower and palm), a flavouring of yeast extract (barley), salt and vegetable extract (carrot), salt, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride and white pepper.

Eighty per cent wholewheat

Wholewheat flour makes up 80% of the recipe, and the listing says the sticks are 80% wholegrain. Wholewheat flour is milled from the whole grain, bran and germ included, which gives the sticks their brown colour and nutty taste.

The yeast extract flavour

The flavour of a Twiglet is yeast extract, made here from barley, with a little carrot extract and salt: the dark, savoury, slightly bitter taste of a yeast spread on toast.

The knobbly shape

The pack calls the shape distinctive and knobbly: each stick is irregular, with bumps along its length, so no two look quite the same and the flavouring collects in the crevices.

Oven baked, not fried

The pack says the sticks are oven baked, not fried, for a light, crunchy bite. The sunflower and palm oils are part of the dough.

Three salts

Salt, potassium chloride and magnesium chloride are all on the list. Potassium and magnesium chloride taste salty but contain no sodium, and the salt figure on a UK label is worked out from sodium.

White pepper

White pepper, the last ingredient, adds a gentle warmth behind the yeast flavour.

Fibre and protein

The wholewheat gives the sticks 11.3g of fibre per 100g and 2.8g in a 25g serving, and 12.4g of protein per 100g.

Numbers for a serving

The label gives 105 kcal (442 kJ), 3.3g of fat, 0.5g of saturates, 14.3g of carbohydrate, 0.1g of sugars, 2.8g of fibre, 3.1g of protein and 0.3g of salt for a 25g serving. That is about 5% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 5% of the fat and 5% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

Per 100g the label gives 421 kcal (1766 kJ), 13.4g of fat, 1.9g of saturates, 57g of carbohydrate, 0.5g of sugars, 11.3g of fibre, 12.4g of protein and 1.1g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 13.4g, saturates at 1.9g and salt at 1.1g are amber, and sugars at 0.5g are green. There is no red on the scale.

Magnesium chloride

Magnesium chloride is a mineral salt, often extracted from sea water. Like potassium chloride, it tastes salty without adding sodium, and it sits beside ordinary salt in the list.

Carrot extract

A little vegetable extract, from carrot, is part of the flavouring with the yeast extract and salt, adding a touch of sweetness and colour.

Sugars

Sugar is not on the list. The label gives 0.5g of sugars per 100g and 0.1g in a serving, which comes from the flour.

Carbohydrate

The label gives 57g of carbohydrate per 100g, almost all of it starch from the wholewheat flour.

Sunflower and palm

The two oils, sunflower and palm, are part of the dough rather than a frying oil; the sticks are baked.

Salt

The label gives 1.1g of salt per 100g, amber, and 0.3g in a 25g serving, about 5% of an adult's daily reference intake.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight wholewheat and barley, both cereals containing gluten. The allergy advice says the sticks may also contain sesame seeds, milk, egg and mustard. The listing says they are suitable for vegetarians; no vegan claim is made, and they are not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

No artificial colours or flavours

The listing says there are no artificial colours or flavours; the colour comes from the wholewheat and the yeast extract.

Palm oil

The listing says the oil palm products in the sticks are certified to come from RSPO segregated sources.

A sharing bag

Six 25g servings make this a bag for a table, a party or a Christmas bowl. Once opened, the listing advises an airtight container.

At Christmas

Twiglets are a Christmas bowl classic, beside nuts, Mini Cheddars and Treeselets.

With drinks

The savoury, yeasty flavour suits a glass of ale, a dry cider or a tomato juice.

On a cheese board

A few Twiglets on a cheese board beside a strong cheddar and a pickle add crunch and a savoury note.

Who it suits

Twiglets suit anyone who likes a yeast extract flavour and a baked, wholewheat snack. They are not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten.

With soup

A few Twiglets beside a bowl of tomato or oxtail soup make a savoury, crunchy side.

Standing up

Stand a handful in a glass on a party table, like breadsticks, so guests can take them one at a time.

Storage

The listing gives the best before date on the front of the pack, advises a cool, dry place, and says to keep an opened bag in an airtight container.

Other Twiglets

We also stock a 200g tube of Twiglets Mini, a festive caddy of smaller sticks.

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