Start at the Back: The Ingredient List
The front of a package is marketing, but the back is information. The most crucial part is the ingredients list, which is regulated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight.
This means the first three ingredients make up the bulk of the product. If sugar, maida (refined flour), or palm oil are listed first, that's what you are mostly eating, regardless of front-of-pack claims like "multigrain" or "healthy". A biscuit advertised as "multigrain" might list refined wheat flour as its main ingredient, with only a small percentage of actual millets. A short, simple ingredient list is often a good sign.
Master the Serving Size Trick
This is one of the most common ways consumers are misled. A packet of chips or biscuits might seem low in calories, sugar, and fat. However, that nutritional information often applies to a very small serving size, like just two biscuits or 10 chips, which is determined by the manufacturer. Most people consume the entire packet, which could be four or five times the listed serving. Always check the serving size (e.g., 25g) and compare it to the net weight of the entire package (e.g., 100g). To get an accurate picture, multiply the nutritional values by the number of servings in the pack. The most reliable way to compare two different products is to use the 'per 100g' column, which is a standardized measure.
Identify Hidden Sugars and Their Many Names
Sugar is rarely listed just as 'sugar'. Food companies often use multiple types of sweeteners to prevent any single one from appearing at the top of the ingredients list. Be on the lookout for names like glucose syrup, fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin, invert syrup, and fruit juice concentrate. If you see several of these on a label, it's a red flag for high sugar content. The nutrition panel will list 'Total Sugar', which includes both naturally occurring sugars (like in milk or fruit) and 'Added Sugar'. The 'Added Sugar' line is the one to watch closely. As a general guide, more than 10-12g of sugar per 100g is considered significant for most packaged foods.
Decode Confusing Health Claims
Terms like "natural," "healthy," "whole wheat," and "high protein" can be misleading. The term "natural" is not tightly regulated, so it can be used on products that still contain processed ingredients. A "multigrain" bread may still primarily consist of refined flour. A "baked, not fried" snack can still be high in sodium and fat. Similarly, claims like "no added sugar" mean no sugar was added during processing, but the product could still be high in natural sugars from fruit concentrates. The FSSAI has recently been taking action against companies using such misleading claims, but the best defence is to ignore the claims and read the nutrition panel and ingredient list yourself.
Scan for Fats, Sodium, and Fibre
Beyond sugar, there are three other key numbers to check on the nutrition panel. Pay attention to saturated fat and trans fat. Any product listing "partially hydrogenated oils" contains trans fats, which are best avoided. For sodium, a high amount can contribute to blood pressure issues. As a quick guide, over 600mg of sodium per 100g is considered high. Finally, check the fibre content. A product with low fibre and high sugar is typically heavily processed. Comparing these four—sugar, unhealthy fats, sodium, and fibre—gives you a quick and effective snapshot of a product's true nutritional value.
Look for Mandatory Symbols and Dates
Every food product in India must carry a few mandatory markers. The FSSAI logo with its license number indicates that the product complies with national food safety regulations. You should also check for the green dot inside a square for vegetarian products or a brown dot for non-vegetarian items. If you have allergies, look for the allergen declaration, which is often in bold and may be listed separately as "Contains: milk, soy, nuts," etc. Lastly, always check the 'Date of Manufacture' and the 'Expiry Date' or 'Use By' date to ensure the product is fresh and safe to consume. The 'Best Before' date refers to quality, not safety, but is still a useful indicator.
