‘Natural’ vs. ‘Organic’: A World of Difference
Many of us treat the words ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ as interchangeable, but they are far from it in India. 'Organic' is a legally regulated term. For a product to carry the 'Jaivik Bharat' logo, it must be certified by an authorised body, ensuring it was
grown without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilisers. 'Natural', on the other hand, is not a regulated term. A product labelled 'natural' can simply mean it is free from artificial colours or flavours, but it gives no guarantee about the farming methods used. It might still contain refined sugar, palm oil, or ingredients grown with chemical pesticides. While all organic products can be considered natural, not all natural products are organic. The only way to be sure is to ignore the attractive front-of-pack claim and check for an official certification logo.
The Sugar Trap: Decoding Sweet Claims
Labels like 'Sugar-Free' and 'No Added Sugar' sound like a free pass to indulge, but there’s a catch. According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines, 'sugar-free' means the product contains less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving, but it might contain artificial sweeteners. 'No added sugar' means no sugar was added during processing, but the product can still be high in naturally occurring sugars from ingredients like fruit concentrates or dairy. For example, a fruit juice with 'no added sugar' can still contain a significant amount of sugar from the fruit itself. The ingredient list is your best friend here. If you see terms like corn syrup, cane juice, or maltodextrin, you're looking at a hidden form of sugar.
‘Fortified’ and the ‘+F’ Logo
You may have noticed a blue ‘+F’ logo on staples like milk, edible oil, rice, and wheat flour. This is an FSSAI initiative to combat micronutrient deficiencies in India. 'Fortification' is the process of adding essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, iodine, and Vitamins A and D, to everyday foods to improve their nutritional content without changing their taste or texture. For instance, milk and oil are often fortified with Vitamins A and D, while salt may be fortified with iodine and iron. While this is a beneficial public health strategy, it is important to remember that fortified foods can still be heavily processed. The presence of the '+F' logo indicates that the food meets the specified nutrient levels set by FSSAI, but it doesn't automatically make the entire product 'healthy' if it's also high in sugar or unhealthy fats.
The Real Story Is on the Back
Marketing claims on the front of a package are designed to sell. The real, unbiased information is in the nutritional facts panel and the ingredient list on the back. By law, all pre-packaged foods in India must list ingredients in descending order of their weight. If sugar or refined flour is one of the first few ingredients, the product is likely not as healthy as it claims. The most crucial part is the nutrition information panel, which breaks down energy (calories), fat, carbohydrates (including total sugar), and protein per 100g or per serving. Be wary of misleading serving sizes; a packet of biscuits might list nutritional information for just three biscuits, while most people would eat more. Always check the 'per 100g' column for a fair comparison between products.
