The War on Misleading Words
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently intensified its scrutiny of food and beverage companies, taking action against misleading advertisements and false labelling. In recent months, more than 150 notices have been issued
to a wide range of companies, including major players like Nestle, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Mondelez. The regulator is targeting popular but often ambiguous claims such as 'healthy,' '100% natural,' 'fresh,' and 'protein-packed'. This enforcement has even extended to e-commerce platforms like Amazon and fast-food chains like McDonald's and Domino's. The action follows several instances where brands were found using terms like 'Energy Drink' on caffeinated beverages or making unsubstantiated '100% pure' claims. This crackdown signals a clear message: the language on the front of the pack is facing as much examination as the ingredients on the back.
Rule #1: The Ingredients List Never Lies
While flashy marketing slogans on the front of a package are designed to catch your eye, the truth of a product is found in the ingredients list. According to FSSAI guidelines, ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight. This means the first three ingredients make up the bulk of what you're eating. If sugar, refined flour (maida), or hydrogenated oils are at the top of the list, you should be skeptical of any health claims the product makes. A shorter, more recognizable ingredients list is often a sign of a less processed food. Be on the lookout for hidden sugars, which can be disguised under names like corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, or maltodextrin.
How to Decode the Nutrition Facts
The nutrition information panel tells the real story of a product's health profile. The first thing to check is the serving size. All the values listed—calories, fat, protein—are based on that single serving, which might be much smaller than the amount you typically consume. To compare different products fairly, always check the 'per 100g' or 'per 100ml' column. Under FSSAI's latest rules, brands must also clearly distinguish between 'total sugars' and 'added sugars'. Total sugars include those naturally present in milk or fruit, while added sugars are those put in during manufacturing. This distinction is crucial for managing your intake of sugars that offer no nutritional benefit.
Beware of the 'Health Halo'
Many products are wrapped in a 'health halo' created by appealing buzzwords. Terms like 'multigrain' simply mean more than one type of grain is used; it doesn't guarantee they are whole grains. A product can be 'baked, not fried' and still be high in sodium, unhealthy fats, or refined carbohydrates. Similarly, 'cholesterol-free' is often used on plant-based products like vegetable oils, which never contain cholesterol in the first place. The word 'natural' is also heavily regulated; it cannot be used for products that have undergone more than minimal processing. Your best defense is to ignore these glowing terms and go straight to the nutrition panel and ingredients list.
The 'No Added Sugar' Trap
One of the most confusing areas for consumers is the world of sugar claims. A 'sugar-free' product is legally defined and must contain no more than 0.5g of sugar per 100g. However, 'no added sugar' is a non-addition claim, meaning only that no extra sugar was mixed in during processing. A product can still be very high in total sugar from its own ingredients, such as fruit juices, concentrates, honey, or date syrup. FSSAI has recently taken action on this, prompting some brands that use date-based sweeteners to change their labels from 'no added sugar' to 'sweetened with dates'. This highlights the importance of checking the 'total sugar' value, not just relying on front-of-pack claims.
