Marmite and Cheese Puffs, 6 x 16.5g

These are corn puffs from the Marmite range, and the pack names the flavour cheese and Marmite: cheesy puffs with a bit of Marmite. This is the multipack of six 16.5g bags, 99g in all, and the maker on the label is Tayto Group Ltd.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the puffs are made from maize, vegetable oils (rapeseed and sunflower, in varying proportions) and a cheese and Marmite flavour seasoning of yeast extract, whey powder (milk), salt, sugar, cheese powder (milk), flavouring (milk), citric acid, onion powder, garlic powder, Marmite powder (yeast extracts, salt, vegetable juice concentrate, vitamins and flavouring, with barley, oats, rye, wheat and celery) and celery seed extract (celery).

Corn puffs

Corn puffs like these are extruded: a maize dough is pushed through a shaped die and puffs up as it leaves, giving a light, airy puff that crunches and then melts.

Cheese and Marmite

The seasoning puts the two together: yeast extract leads, with whey powder and cheese powder for the cheese, and Marmite powder for the dark, salty, savoury tang of the spread. Cheese and Marmite on toast is a British pairing, and this is the puff version.

Marmite powder

Marmite powder is the spread in dried form: yeast extracts, salt, vegetable juice concentrate, vitamins and flavouring. The yeast extract in Marmite comes from brewers' yeast, and the list names barley, oats, rye, wheat and celery with the powder.

Celery

Celery appears twice, in the Marmite powder and as celery seed extract. Celery is one of the 14 allergens under UK rules, so anyone with a celery allergy should avoid these puffs.

Onion and garlic

Onion powder and garlic powder round out the seasoning, the savoury base under the cheese and the yeast extract.

Yeast extract

Yeast extract, twice over, is naturally rich in glutamates, worth knowing for anyone who avoids them altogether; there is no added MSG on the list.

Numbers for one bag

The listing gives no figures for a bag. Worked out from the label's per 100g figures, each 16.5g bag comes to about 84 kcal (352 kJ), 4.3g of fat, 0.5g of saturates, 10g of carbohydrate, 0.5g of sugars, 0.1g of fibre, 1.2g of protein and 0.31g of salt. That is about 4% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 6% of the fat and 5% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

The label gives 510 kcal (2133 kJ), 26.2g of fat, 2.8g of saturates, 60.9g of carbohydrate, 3.2g of sugars, 0.7g of fibre, 7.1g of protein and 1.85g of salt per 100g.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 26.2g is red. Saturates at 2.8g are amber. Sugars at 3.2g are green. Salt at 1.85g is red.

Salt

The label gives 1.85g of salt per 100g, red on the front of pack scale; the Marmite Crisps carry 1.29g.

Carbohydrate

The label gives 60.9g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 3.2g are sugars; the rest is starch from the maize.

Maize

Maize, or corn, is the first ingredient, and the corn dough gives the puffs their light, even crunch.

Rapeseed and sunflower oil

The listing gives rapeseed and sunflower oils in varying proportions. The label gives 26.2g of fat per 100g, red on the front of pack scale, and 2.8g of saturates, amber.

Whey and cheese powder

Whey powder comes before the cheese powder in the seasoning, so the cheese side is creamy and mild, with citric acid for a light tang.

Sugar

A little sugar sits in the seasoning; the label gives 3.2g of sugars per 100g, green on the front of pack scale.

Fibre and protein

The label gives 0.7g of fibre and 7.1g of protein per 100g.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight milk, in the whey, cheese powder and flavouring, celery, in the Marmite powder and celery seed extract, and cereals containing gluten, barley, oats, rye and wheat, in the Marmite powder. The published listing gives no may contain advice. The pack says the puffs are suitable for vegetarians; they are not vegan, because of the milk. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

No artificial flavours

The pack says there are no artificial flavours.

Six small bags

Six 16.5g bags make a school week of lunchboxes with one to spare.

Once opened

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

The pack

The black outer bag with yellow ends carries the Marmite oval logo, red, yellow and green, reading yeast extract, the word puffs in white, cheese and Marmite in yellow, a line about cheesy puffs with a bit of Marmite flavour, a few puffs and a cube of cheese, a yellow 6 pack badge and a front of pack nutrition strip.

Who it suits

A cheesy puff with a Marmite tang suits Marmite fans and children who like cheese puffs, and the vegetarian statement suits most tables. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding milk, celery or gluten.

In a lunchbox

A bag goes beside a cheese sandwich and a piece of fruit.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the puffs make a cheesy, savoury crumb for the top of a macaroni cheese or a cauliflower cheese.

At a party

Tip a few bags into a bowl for a party, beside the Marmite Crisps for the Marmite fans.

With drinks

A cheesy, salty puff goes well with a cold beer or a cup of tea.

Other Marmite snacks

We also stock Marmite Crisps in a six bag multipack of 25g bags.

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