Love Corn Salt and Vinegar Roasted Corn, 115g

Love Corn makes crunchy snacks from whole corn kernels, and Salt and Vinegar is the sharp one, with real dried vinegar on the list. This is the 115g sharing bag of roasted corn, and the label gives its figures per 100g.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the snack is made from corn, sunflower oil, dried vinegar, sea salt, sugar, acids (citric acid and malic acid) and yeast extract. It is a short list, with corn first and the seasoning after it.

Whole kernels

Each piece is a whole kernel of corn, crunchy right through, closer in bite to a roasted nut than to a crisp. It is not popcorn: the kernels keep their shape and are not popped.

Dried vinegar

Dried vinegar is vinegar in powder form, so the tang comes from real vinegar rather than only from added acids. It is the third ingredient, straight after the corn and the oil.

Citric and malic acids

Citric acid, the acid of lemons, and malic acid, the acid of apples, sharpen the vinegar and make the tang hit quickly. A little sugar rounds the edges.

Yeast extract

Yeast extract, the last ingredient, adds a savoury depth under the sharp seasoning. It is naturally rich in glutamates, worth knowing for anyone who avoids them altogether; there is no added MSG on the list.

Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is the second ingredient and the only oil on the list. The label gives 12.7g of fat per 100g, amber on the front of pack scale, and 1.3g of saturates, green.

Sugars

The label gives 0.5g of sugars per 100g, green on the front of pack scale, the least of the three Love Corn we stock. The Smoked BBQ has 2.8g and the Sweet and Salty 17g.

Salt

The label gives 1.1g of salt per 100g, amber, level with the Smoked BBQ Love Corn and just under the Sweet and Salty at 1.2g.

Fibre and protein

The label gives 9.4g of fibre and 7.9g of protein per 100g, from the whole corn kernels. The protein is the highest of the three Love Corn we stock.

Carbohydrate

The label gives 67g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 0.5g are sugars; the rest is starch from the corn.

Numbers per 100g

The label gives 426 kcal (1793 kJ), 12.7g of fat, 1.3g of saturates, 67g of carbohydrate, 0.5g of sugars, 9.4g of fibre, 7.9g of protein and 1.1g of salt per 100g. The listing gives no serving size, so tip a handful into a bowl rather than eating from the bag.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 12.7g is amber. Saturates at 1.3g are green. Sugars at 0.5g are green. Salt at 1.1g is amber.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients. The allergy advice says the corn may contain nuts and peanuts, so it does not suit anyone who must avoid them. The listing says it is suitable for vegans and gluten free. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Corn

Corn, or maize, is a cereal grain that contains no gluten, and the listing says the snack is gluten free.

Salt and vinegar on corn

Salt and vinegar is the classic British crisp seasoning, and on a whole corn kernel the tang meets a sweeter, toasted corn taste rather than potato.

Plant based

The listing says the corn is suitable for vegans: there is no honey, milk or other animal ingredient on the list, unlike the honeyed Sweet and Salty.

The brand's voice

The pack talks to you: a line calling the corn a crunchy corn snack, a p.s. about finding love in the simple things, and a perfect crunch arrow pointing at the kernels.

Storage

The listing asks for a cool, dry place so the corn stays crunchy. Close the bag well after opening.

The pack

The turquoise bag carries a band reading 115g sharing bag, the Love Corn name in large pale yellow letters with a heart in the O, a perfect crunch arrow pointing to a few kernels, a GF gluten free roundel and the words salt and vinegar beside a small bottle.

Who it suits

A sharp, crunchy corn snack suits anyone who likes salt and vinegar crisps but wants a harder crunch, and the vegan and gluten free statements suit many tables. It does not suit anyone who must avoid nuts or peanuts.

Serving ideas

Put a bowl out with drinks, or serve the corn beside fish and chips or a ploughman's lunch.

In the kitchen

Scatter a handful over a green salad, a potato salad or a bowl of pea soup for a sharp crunch.

With drinks

Salt and vinegar corn goes well with a cold lager, a dry cider or a gin and tonic.

Other Love Corn

In the same 115g bag we stock Love Corn Sweet and Salty and Smoked BBQ.

Other 115g packs of Love Corn we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

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