Community-led food cooperative Box Divvy is urging Australians to take a closer look at what’s in their pantry, calling out common snack foods that are marketed as healthy but often contain ultra-processed ingredients.
The co-op, which operates more than 330 community-run hubs and serves around 15,000 households across New South Wales and the ACT, says consumers are being misled by health-focused branding such as “veggie crisps” or “baked not fried” chips, which often mask the use of synthetic additives and heavily modified ingredients.
“People are trying to choose healthier snacks, but they’re being misled,” said Box Divvy Co-Founder Jayne Travers-Drapes. “Many would be shocked to learn these products don’t contain real vegetables — just ultra-processed pastes reshaped to look like one. It’s not food, it’s a façade.”
Box Divvy highlights common additives in snack foods that are often overlooked, including flavour enhancers like MSG and yeast extract, reconstituted starches, emulsifiers, synthetic “natural flavours,” and refined oils such as palm oil.
Travers-Drapes said these substances are formulated to override natural hunger cues, potentially disrupting gut health and encouraging overconsumption.
“These additives aren’t harmless,” she said. “They’re designed to override your hunger cues — so you keep eating without realising it. It’s not a lack of willpower — your gut starts to crave the additives, not the food.”
Box Divvy’s cooperative model focuses on transparency, affordability, and wholefood options. In partnership with the Western Sydney Diabetes Alliance, the group offers over 700 pantry lines, including seasonal produce and pantry staples curated to support healthier eating.
For some members, the clarity in Box Divvy’s offering is a relief. “I used to get overwhelmed trying to figure out which snacks were actually healthy,” said Leigh Lind, who runs Box Divvy hubs in Camperdown and Bowral.
“I really appreciate that Box Divvy does the thinking for me — they only stock things with real ingredients.”
Among the current snack selections are air-crisped DJ&A Green Bean Crisps, traditional La Tortilleria Corn Chips made with only corn, non-GMO canola oil and sea salt, and Pimp My Snack Super Seed Clusters — a mix of tamari-roasted seeds with 20% plant protein.
“These are snacks where the ingredients are the product,” said Travers-Drapes. “They’re simple, nourishing, and made with integrity — not marketing tricks.”
A 2024 study by Western Sydney University and the University of Wollongong found that Box Divvy members consumed an average of 3.3 more serves of vegetables and 2.5 more serves of fruit per week compared to non-members.
Professor Freya MacMillan, speaking on the study’s findings, said the shift brings consumers closer to national dietary guidelines, which is critical to reducing the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes.
Box Divvy also encourages consumers to follow five simple tips to better identify ultra-processed snacks: scan the first three ingredients for real foods; be cautious of vague labels like “vegetable base” or “natural flavours”; check for additive codes such as 621 or 471; count the number of ingredients; and consider whether the snack could realistically be made at home.
“You don’t have to give up snacks,” Travers-Drapes said. “You just need to know what you’re eating — and choose something real.”
