Learn to Read Labels to Avoid Getting Tricked

Learn to read food labels so that you don’t fall for misleading claims, and are able to monitor calories to stay fit and lose weight.

There are several food products that are promoted as healthy choices and are often advertised as ‘low fat’, ‘sugar free’ or ‘high in fibre’ to quote just a few. But, just because the product says so, doesn’t mean it is the best or the healthiest choice.

A product labelled as ‘low fat’ for example may still contain a huge amount of calories from sugar. Similarly a product that is claimed to be ‘cholesterol free’ may still be high in fat.

Fortunately, it is mandatory for food manufacturers to put a nutrition information label on all their products, a development that has made it easier for shoppers to make informed choices about what they are really eating, and to choose the healthiest options for general well-being as well as weight loss.

FSSAI to Classify Popular Snacks as Junk Food

Foods Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), India’s Food regulator, will label packaged food (such as chips) as junk, depending on the levels of fat, salt and sugar.

With India going through higher degree of urbanisation, millions of Indians in small towns and cities are acquiring new tastes (burgers, pastas, etc). This has led to a debate on introducing a ‘fat tax’ on junk food.

This is why FSSAI is mulling introducing a special label for junk food.

However, it will be a challenge to regulate local shops selling Indian fried snacks such as samosa and cutlets.

“That is the challenge. There are practical difficulties in the Indian context for street food. You can do it in potato chips, but if someone sells a samosa on the street, it is difficult,” FSSAI.