Pita chips: a cracker judged mostly by its salt

In a randomized crossover trial in 38 healthy adults, a 50 g pita snack made from buckwheat flour, 135 calories, did not change appetite over 180 minutes compared with corn or rice flour snacks. Nor did it change how much they ate at lunch and later that day. Those were single servings of buckwheat pita, which is as close as the trials we found get to pita as a snack. The chips themselves are mostly a sodium and energy story. The USDA survey food for pita chips lists 854 mg sodium, 457 calories and 3.8 g fiber per 3.5 oz (100 g), one composite value with no spread between brands, and baked and fried brands will differ. A small 28 g bag works out to about 239 mg sodium and 128 calories. A 60 g cup comes to about 512 mg sodium and 274 calories, both recalculated from the 100 g figures.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Pita chips in the USDA survey database carry 854 mg sodium, 457 calories and 3.8 g dietary fiber per 3.5 oz (100 g). — one composite USDA survey food, Pita chips, not brand specific Evidence E source
  Sodium 854 mg, energy 457 calories, total dietary fiber 3.8 g per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• A small single serving bag of pita chips (28 g) works out to about 239 mg sodium and 128 calories, and a 1 cup serving (60 g) to about 512 mg sodium and 274 calories. — USDA survey portion weights for Pita chips Evidence E source
  28 g bag: 239 mg sodium, 128 calories. 60 g cup: 512 mg sodium, 274 calories. One chip weighs 3 g

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover trial in 12 healthy men, adding 15% chickpea flour and 4% guar gum to wheat flatbread cut the 4 hour appearance of meal glucose in blood by 11%. — twelve healthy males eating 13C enriched wheat flatbreads with and without chickpea flour plus guar gum (n = 12) Evidence B source
  4 h AUC of exogenous glucose appearance 11% lower, endogenous glucose production 64% lower with 4% guar gum, time to 50% absorption unchanged
• In a randomized trial in 38 normal weight adults, wheat flatbreads with added guar gum, konjac or chickpea flour plus guar gum lowered the post meal glucose rise by at least 30%. — 38 normal weight adults eating flatbreads from a commercial high fiber flour mix with or without added fibers (n = 38) Evidence B source
  Post meal glucose at least 30% lower with 6 g guar gum, 4 g konjac mannan, or 15 g chickpea flour plus 2 or 4 g guar gum, p<0.01. Other combinations no different

What cooking and storage change

• A systematic review of stored foods found acrylamide mostly falls during storage, most in low moisture products kept at 77 °F (25 °C) or warmer, with rare rises in some cereal based foods. — processed foods analyzed for acrylamide over storage time, temperature and packaging Evidence D source
  Acrylamide decreased in most matrices, sporadic increases in some cereal, nut and vegetable based foods

What it does to your health

• In a double blind randomized trial, 25 adults with overweight who ate about 2.4 oz (67.5 g) of crackers every afternoon for 70 days saw no drop in waist circumference, whichever crackers they got. — 25 adults with overweight and abdominal adiposity eating PUFA enriched or control crackers as a daily afternoon snack for 70 days (n = 25) Evidence B source
  No reduction in waist circumference, no change in cholesterol or triglycerides, both crackers raised satiety
• Observational data link 90 g a day more whole grain with 17% lower all cause mortality, but show little link for refined grains. — 45 prospective studies (64 publications) of whole grain and grain intake (n = 45 studies) Evidence C source
  All cause mortality RR 0.83 (0.77 to 0.90) per 90 g/day whole grain, little evidence of association with refined grains
• In a randomized crossover trial in 38 healthy adults, a 50 g pita snack made from buckwheat flour (135 calories) did not change appetite or later energy intake compared with corn or rice flour snacks. — thirty-eight healthy adults, each snack once, separated by at least 7 days (n = 38) Evidence B source
  No difference in appetite ratings over 180 min or in energy eaten at lunch and the rest of the day

Safety, limits and interactions

• Laboratory testing found 14 to 59 mcg/kg acrylamide in commercial pita and pita crackers, far below the 101 to 504 mcg/kg in matzo baked at about 752 °F (400 °C). — 15 experimental and 21 commercial flatbreads analyzed by HPLC/MS (n = 36 products) Evidence D source
  Commercial pita and pita crackers 14 to 59 mcg/kg, matzo 101 to 504 mcg/kg, potato based products up to 2070 mcg/kg
• EU law sets a benchmark of 400 mcg/kg acrylamide for crackers other than potato based ones, against 750 mcg/kg for potato based crackers. — food business operators placing crackers on the EU market Evidence E source
  Benchmark level 400 mcg/kg for non-potato crackers, a performance indicator for mitigation rather than a legal maximum

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU refused to authorize the claim that diets rich in whole grain foods promote heart health. — health claim applicants under Regulation 1924/2006 Evidence E source
  Claim non-authorized
• The EU also refused the claim that people who eat more whole grain foods have a healthier body weight and gain less weight over time. — health claim applicants under Regulation 1924/2006 Evidence E source
  Claim non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In 56 healthy Indian adults, flatbreads with 15% chickpea flour and 3 or 4% guar gum cut the post meal glucose rise by at least 15% and the insulin response by at least 28%. — fifty-six healthy Indian adults, randomized placebo controlled full crossover, after an earlier exploratory study in Caucasian subjects (n = 56) Evidence B source
  Post meal glucose at least 15% lower (P<0.01) and insulin at least 28% lower (P<0.0001) versus plain wheat flatbread

What is still unknown

• Across 28 studies pooled in a meta-analysis, baked wheat foods averaged 136.29 mcg/kg acrylamide, and commercial samples from some regions of the world have never been tested. — 28 studies measuring processing contaminants in wheat-based foods such as bread, cookies and pasta (n = 28 studies) Evidence D source
  Acrylamide 136.29 mcg/kg, HMF 70.59 mcg/kg, PAHs 0.11 mcg/kg

The bottom line

The blood sugar trials changed the recipe of purpose made wheat flatbreads, and none of them tested chips. In 38 normal weight adults eating single meals, adding 6 g guar gum, 4 g konjac or 15 g chickpea flour plus guar gum lowered the post meal glucose rise by at least 30 percent. In 56 healthy Indian adults, 15 percent chickpea flour with 3 or 4 percent guar gum cut the glucose rise by at least 15 percent and insulin by at least 28 percent. What a bag of pita chips does to blood sugar is not in these data. In 25 adults with overweight and abdominal fat, about 2.4 oz (67.5 g) of crackers every afternoon for 70 days did not shrink the waist, whether the crackers were enriched with polyunsaturated fat or plain. Without a no snack group, that trial cannot say what crackers do against eating nothing. Observational data from 45 prospective studies link 90 g more whole grain a day with 17 percent lower all cause mortality (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.90) and show little association for refined grains. Most pita chips are made from refined wheat. The EU refused to authorize two whole grain claims, one on heart health and one on body weight. Non-authorized means the evidence did not meet the bar when it was assessed, which is a smaller statement than proof of no effect. Acrylamide is the contaminant to know about. In one US laboratory study that measured content, with no health outcome and no brands named in the abstract, commercial pita and pita crackers held 14 to 59 mcg/kg. The EU benchmark for crackers other than potato based ones is 400 mcg/kg, a trigger for reviewing how a product is made rather than a legal maximum. A meta-analysis of 28 studies put baked wheat foods at an average of 136.29 mcg/kg, and commercial samples from some regions of the world have never been tested. Stored foods mostly lose acrylamide over time, by a systematic review that gives a direction and no numbers. We have no card on pita chips for children, pregnancy, allergy, medicines or people told to limit salt, so this page has nothing specific to tell those readers.

Sources

1. ptc-r3-01 · dataset
   Pita chips [fdc_id 2708215]: Sodium, Na 854 MG per 100 g; Energy 457 KCAL per 100 g; Fiber, total dietary 3.8 G per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 54402700 Pita chips (FDC 2708215) · checked 2026-09-29
2. ptc-r3-02 · dataset
   Pita chips [fdc_id 2708215]: 1 small single serving bag 28 g, Sodium 239.1 MG, Energy 128.0 KCAL; 1 cup 60 g, Sodium 512.4 MG, Energy 274.2 KCAL
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 54402700 Pita chips (FDC 2708215), portion weights · checked 2026-09-29
3. ptc-r3-03 · randomized crossover trial
   However, GG4 significantly reduced 4-h AUC values for RaE, RaT, RdT and EGP, by 11, 14, 14 and 64 %, respectively, whereas GG2 showed minor effects.
   Br J Nutr, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
4. ptc-r3-04 · randomized controlled trial
   Flatbreads with 6 g GG, 4 g KM, and 15 g CPF plus 2 or 4 g GG reduced PPG ≥30 % (p < 0.01), while no other combinations differed significantly from the control.
   Eur J Nutr, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
5. ptc-r3-13 · systematic review of food analyses
   Overall, AA concentrations decreased in most matrices, with the largest reductions occurring in low-moisture products (coffee, cocoa, nuts), particularly at temperatures ≥25 °C. Sporadic AA increases were reported in some cereal-, nut-, and vegetable-based foods, but these were uncommon.
   Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
6. ptc-r3-06 · randomized controlled trial
   Each group consumed a serving of the respective crackers (± 67.5 g) as an afternoon snack every day for 70 days. ... However, the primary endpoint was not met as there was no reduction in waist circumference.
   Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
7. ptc-r3-07 · meta-analysis of cohort studies
   The relative risks for morality were 0.85 (0.80 to 0.91; I(2)=37%, n=6) for total cancer, 0.83 (0.77 to 0.90; I(2)=83%, n=11) for all causes ... but there was little evidence of an association with refined grains, white rice, total rice, or total grains.
   BMJ, 2016 · checked 2026-09-29
8. ptc-r3-14 · randomized crossover trial
   Consuming buckwheat groats (32 g serving; 141 kcal) or pita bread made from buckwheat flour (50 g serving; 135 kcal) was not associated with changes in appetite related sensations or energy consumption compared with reference snack products made from corn or rice flour.
   Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
9. ptc-r3-09 · food analysis
   The acrylamide levels of the following flatbreads were 14 to 59 μg/kg: rye, sorghum, soy, wheat, commercial pita, pita crackers, pizza, naan, and lavash.
   J Food Sci, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
10. ptc-r3-10 · regulation
    Crackers with the exception of potato based crackers 400
    Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158, Annex IV · checked 2026-09-29
11. ptc-r3-11 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-7014 Diet rich in whole grain diets rich in whole grain foods promote heart health Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7014, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
12. ptc-r3-12 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-8196 Whole grain foods People who eat more whole grain foods tend to have a healthier body weight and gain less weight over time (as part of a low fat diet & healthy lifestyle). Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-8196, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
13. ptc-r3-05 · randomized controlled trial
    The flatbreads with CPF and 3 or 4 % GG significantly reduced PPG (both ≥15 % reduction in positive incremental AUC, P<0·01) and PPI (both ≥28 % reduction in total AUC, P<0·0001) compared with flatbreads made from control flour.
    Br J Nutr, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
14. ptc-r3-08 · meta-analysis of food analyses
    The highest concentration was for acrylamide (136.29 µg·kg-1) followed by HMF (70.59 µg·kg-1) and PAHs (0.11 µg·kg-1). Acrylamide is the main processing contaminant researched, and no studies on the subject have been found in commercial samples in some regions of the world.
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29