The Allure of 'Natural'
The word 'natural' is a powerful marketing tool, often making us believe a product is inherently healthier. However, in India, its definition is quite specific but also limited. According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a food
can be called 'natural' only if it's a single-ingredient product from a plant, animal, or mineral source. It should have nothing added and only undergo minimal processing like washing, peeling, or drying that doesn't alter its basic character. This means a multi-ingredient product, like a biscuit or a sauce, cannot be called 'natural' itself, though it might claim it's 'made from natural ingredients' if all its components qualify. This seemingly small distinction is where marketing thrives, creating a 'health halo' that can be misleading.
‘Natural’ vs. ‘Organic’: A Crucial Difference
Unlike 'natural', the term 'organic' is strictly regulated in India. For a product to be labelled organic, it must be certified through a rigorous process, ensuring that the farming practices avoided synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. In India, you can identify certified organic products by looking for the 'Jaivik Bharat' logo, a green circle with a leaf and a tick mark. This logo, along with either the NPOP (National Programme for Organic Production) or PGS-India (Participatory Guarantee System) certification marks, is your assurance that the product has met legal standards. While 'natural' tells you very little about how an ingredient was grown, 'organic' provides a documented and verifiable claim about the entire production process.
Decoding Common Front-of-Pack Claims
Labels are filled with buzzwords designed to catch your eye. 'Multigrain' simply means a product contains more than one type of grain, but it doesn't guarantee they are whole grains; the primary ingredient could still be refined flour (maida). 'No added sugar' is another common claim, but it doesn't mean the product is low in sugar. It can still be high in naturally occurring sugars, like those from fruit juice concentrates or dates. Similarly, claims like 'immunity booster' or 'heart-healthy' are often used without being linked to a specific nutrient as required by regulations, making them more of a marketing statement than a scientific fact. FSSAI has been increasing its scrutiny on such misleading claims.
The Real Story Is on the Back
The most reliable information is not on the front of the package; it's in the nutrition information panel and the ingredients list on the back. FSSAI mandates that all packaged foods display this information. The first rule is to look at the ingredients list, which is always arranged in descending order by weight. If sugar or refined flour is one of the first three ingredients, you know it makes up a large portion of the product. Be wary of the many names for sugar, such as corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, and maltose, which can be used to disguise the total sugar content. The shorter and more recognizable the ingredient list, the less processed the food tends to be.
How to Read the Nutrition Facts Panel
First, check the serving size. Manufacturers often list a small serving size to make the calorie and sugar numbers seem lower. To make a fair comparison between two different products, always use the 'per 100g' column. This gives you a standard measure. Pay close attention to 'Total Sugars' and 'Added Sugars' when listed, as well as Sodium content, especially in savoury snacks, sauces, and instant noodles. The 'per 100g' values for these will give you a true sense of whether a product is genuinely a healthy choice or just marketed as one.
