The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) recently released a report on X (formally Twitter), which mentioned 17 points of guidelines related to food habits and practices to curb diabetes, obesity, and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The ICMR report also stressed the importance of decoding the labels of packaged foods, where it stated that the labels of packaged foods can be misleading, and hence it is important that consumers read the label sincerely.
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The report said that packaged foods are designed to catch the consumer’s attention and convince them that the product is healthy and they should buy it and to do so, they often indulge in misleading labelling.
For instance, a product can be called ‘natural’, which is meant to be free of chemicals and added colors, but often such so-called natural products are loaded with preservatives and added colors.
“This term is often used rather loosely. It is often used by manufacturers to identify one or two natural ingredients in the mix, and this can be misleading, it said, urging people to read the label carefully and cross-check such claims.
Another example of misleading label design explained by NIN is packaged juice. According to FSSAI regulation, any juice, even with 10 percent or less natural fruit added to it, is allowed to be called a product if it is made with real pulp or juice.
The same is the case with whole grains. There are products that have only a small percentage of whole grain; the rest are refined, and such products could be misleading.
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In the case of ‘organic’ food, it means that the food is free of all preservatives, flavonoids, and colors, and that the food ingredients are free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers. But it rarely happens that products meet all these criteria.
As per the report, if any of the brands meet the above-mentioned criteria, then the label can state 100 percent organic and have the ‘Jaivik Bharat’ logo approved by the FSSAI.
Further, the report talks about the idea of sugar-free foods, which are believed to be low in calories and are meant to be good for people with diabetes. As per NIN, sugar-free foods might be loaded with fat, refined cereals, and even hidden sugars (fructose, corn syrup, and molasses), which would impact the glycemic index and make the food high in calories.
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The report also stresses how important it is for manufacturers to use the right labels, correct information, and complete information to make the consumer live a healthy life.
The report also talks about the difference between nutrition facts and nutrition claims. As per the report, nutritional claim refers to any statement that suggests or implies that a food has particular nutritional properties. Claims like low-calorie or high-fiber are incomplete information, and manufacturers should provide accurate values or facts.
The report stresses checking the net weight of the food packet, which refers to the total amount of product contained in it, and the nutrition facts label information, which is generally based on one serving per 100 g/100 ml.
So, how far have you been reading the labels to date? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
