Space Raiders Beef Snacks, 6 x 13g

Space Raiders are small, space themed corn snacks from KP Snacks, and Beef is the savoury, meaty one, with no meat in it. This is the multipack of six 13g bags, 78g in all, and the pack gives figures for each bag. The full product name on the pack is beef flavour corn snacks, and the pack gives a freepost address for KP Snacks.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the snacks are made from maize, sunflower oil, a beef flavour (glucose syrup solids, dried yeast extract, natural flavouring, salt, maltodextrin, dried onion, sugar and citric acid), dried potato and salt.

Beef without beef

There is no beef on the list. The beefy taste comes from dried yeast extract and the natural flavouring, with onion, and the pack says the snacks are suitable for vegetarians.

Baked, not fried

The pack says baked not fried. The label gives 23g of fat per 100g, red on the front of pack scale, and 2.1g of saturates, amber.

Maize and potato

Maize is the first ingredient, with dried potato in the dough, so the snacks are corn first with a potato note, light and crunchy.

Glucose syrup

Glucose syrup solids lead the beef flavour and give it a gentle sweetness under the savoury taste. The label gives 4.1g of sugars per 100g, green on the front of pack scale.

No MSG

The pack says no MSG, and none is on the list. Dried yeast extract is naturally rich in glutamates, worth knowing for anyone who avoids them altogether.

No artificial colours or flavours

The pack says there are no artificial colours or flavours, and there is no colour on the list at all.

Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is the only oil on the list, the second ingredient after the maize.

Numbers for one bag

The pack gives 64 kcal (269 kJ), 3g of fat, 0.3g of saturates, 8.2g of carbohydrate, 0.5g of sugars, 0.5g of fibre, 0.9g of protein and 0.2g of salt for each 13g bag. That is about 3% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 4% of the fat and 3% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

Per 100g the label gives 494 kcal (2068 kJ), 23g of fat, 2.1g of saturates, 63g of carbohydrate, 4.1g of sugars, 3g of fibre, 6.6g of protein and 1.5g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 23g is red. Saturates at 2.1g are amber. Sugars at 4.1g are green. Salt at 1.5g is amber, right on the line.

Carbohydrate and fibre

The label gives 63g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 4.1g are sugars; the rest is starch from the maize and potato. Fibre is 3g and protein 6.6g per 100g.

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin, a carbohydrate made from starch, carries the beef flavour so it spreads evenly.

Onion and citric acid

Dried onion gives the flavour a savoury base, and a little citric acid lifts it.

Dried potato

Dried potato, near the end of the list, adds a potato note to the corn.

Salt

The label gives 1.5g of salt per 100g and 0.2g in a bag, amber on the front of pack scale, right on the line.

Sugar

Sugar sits near the end of the flavour, with the glucose syrup; there is 0.5g of sugars in a bag.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients. The allergy advice says the snacks may contain cereals containing gluten, milk and soya. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians; there is no vegan statement. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Small bags

At 13g, each bag is small, 64 kcal, sized for a child's lunchbox or a snack between meals, and the listing counts each bag as one serving.

Six bags

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

The pack

The black outer bag carries the Space Raiders name in yellow and orange letters, a red alien face with big white eyes, a yellow planet shaped 6 pack badge and the word beef.

Who it suits

A small, savoury, baked corn snack with no meat suits children's lunchboxes and vegetarians who like a beef flavour. Anyone avoiding gluten, milk or soya should read the may contain advice.

In a lunchbox

A bag goes beside a sandwich, a yoghurt and a piece of fruit.

At a party

Tip a few bags into a bowl for a children's party, with a space theme if you like.

In a party bag

A small bag fits in a party bag at the end of a children's party.

The space theme

The red alien face and the planet shaped badge on the pack give the snacks their space theme.

Trade mark

The listing notes that Space Raiders is a registered trade mark.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the snacks make a savoury crumb for the top of a cottage pie.

Storage and packaging

The listing advises a cool, dry place. The published recycling guidance says the whole packaging can be recycled with carrier bags at large supermarkets and should not go in home recycling.

The published listing gives the United Kingdom as the country of origin. The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.