The ‘Natural’ and ‘Healthy’ Myth
The front of a package is designed to sell, not to inform. Words like 'natural' and 'healthy' are powerful marketing tools, but they are not strictly regulated in India. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has warned that health claims on packaged
food can be misleading. A product labelled 'all-natural' might still contain processed additives, while something marketed as 'healthy' could be high in sugar or sodium. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has flagged numerous brands for making claims that could create a false impression of health benefits. The key takeaway is to treat front-of-pack claims with scepticism and turn the package over to find the facts.
Master the Ingredient List
The most powerful tool you have is the ingredient list. In India, FSSAI regulations mandate that ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight. This single rule is your best guide. The first three ingredients make up the bulk of the product. If a 'multigrain' biscuit lists refined wheat flour (maida), sugar, and palm oil first, then that's what you are mostly eating, regardless of the healthy-sounding name on the front. A short list of recognisable ingredients is often a better sign than a long list full of complex chemical names. Always focus on the first few items to understand the product's true composition.
The Many Names for Hidden Sugar
Manufacturers often use a trick to keep 'sugar' from appearing as the first ingredient: they use multiple types of it. Your body processes all of them as sugar. Be on the lookout for names like high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, invert sugar, molasses, liquid glucose, and fruit juice concentrate. These are commonly found in breakfast cereals, sauces, flavoured yoghurts, and even savoury snacks. A product claiming 'no added sugar' might still be high in total sugars from sources like fruit concentrates, which can still cause a rapid spike in blood sugar. If you see two or three of these names in the ingredient list, mentally add them together to get a real sense of the sugar load.
Decoding Flavours, Colours, and Additives
Labels also declare colours and flavours. It's useful to know the difference between 'natural', 'nature-identical', and 'artificial' flavouring substances. 'Natural' flavours are extracted from plant or animal sources. 'Artificial' flavours are created synthetically and have no counterpart in nature. 'Nature-identical' flavours are the most common; they are made in a lab but are chemically identical to a flavour molecule found in nature. For example, the vanillin molecule can be extracted from a vanilla bean (natural) or synthesised from wood pulp (nature-identical). While all permitted additives are considered safe within limits, their presence often indicates a more heavily processed product.
Don’t Be Fooled by Serving Size
The nutritional information panel is another area where context is key. Information is often provided 'per 100g' and 'per serving'. Always check the serving size, as it can be unrealistically small. A company might list the calories for a serving of 15g, but most people would consume a 50g or 100g packet in one sitting. The 'per 100g' column is the most reliable way to compare two different products fairly. Use it to check the total sugar, sodium, and saturated fat content. This gives you an apples-to-apples comparison, free from the manipulation of serving sizes.
