Have you ever been swayed by a product's healthy label, only to find a list of unpronounceable ingredients upon closer inspection? To provide consumers with clearer and more accessible nutritional information for a healthier lifestyle, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved the proposal to mandate the display of total sugar, salt, and unsaturated fat in large and bold font.
However, despite numerous efforts by regulatory bodies and many dieticians, food safety experts, and doctors, we often ignore what’s on the label. In today's fast-paced world, convenience often trumps conscientiousness when choosing what we consume. But this simple practice can save your health and your money being spent visiting the doctor and paying medical bills.
To understand why its important to read labels on packaged food and tips to understand these complicated ingredients, the Onlymyhealth team spoke to Ashwin Bhadri, Founder and CEO, Equinox Labs.
Importance Of Reading Labels On Packaged Food
Commending FSSAI’s move, Bhadri said, “FSSAI has taken a commendable step by mandating the display of total sugar, salt and saturated fat content in a bold and larger font on packaged food labels. This will boost public health by providing consumers with clearer and more accessible nutritional information and empowering them to make informed and healthier dietary choices.”
The proposed change to highlight the content of added sugar, salt and saturated fat is the right step but for an effective outcome, understanding the entire label is key. Bhadri said, “Reading labels is important as it enables consumers to understand the ingredients within a product. Identifying specific additives, preservatives, and artificial substances is crucial as frequently consuming these in larger quantities could have potential health risks.”
Reading a label will help you make informed decisions and modify your diet as per your preference, restriction or health goals without compromising on health.
“Another critical reason to read labels is to avoid potentially harmful substances that may be present in certain products. By scrutinising labels for these substances, consumers can make informed choices about which products to include in their diet and which to avoid,” Bhadri added.
Tips To Understand Food Labels
If you have ever tried reading the label on a food product, you must know how complicated the entire list of ingredients can be. To help you identify which products to avoid, Bhadri shared some tips:
- People with allergies or intolerances need to read food labels carefully. Packaged foods often contain allergens such as peanuts, gluten or dairy. If you have food sensitivities, you can avoid potential risks by thoroughly examining labels for allergen warnings and ingredient lists.
- Choosing to avoid products with high added sugar or salt can help you avoid lifestyle diseases including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. According to the World Health Organisation, your daily salt intake should be less than 5g and your sugar intake should be less than 25 grams.
- Many processed foods contain additives, preservatives and artificial ingredients that have been linked to adverse health effects, including allergic reactions, digestive issues and long-term health risks. Avoid or limit your intake of products with aspartame, sucralose, monosodium glutamate, artificial colours and flavours, nitrates and nitrites, sodium benzoate, trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup.
- Consuming a huge amount of food products that have a low-calorie count in one sitting is equally damaging to human health.
- A food label overflowing with a long list of unrecognised ingredients often suggests highly processed food.
Bhadri concluded by highlighting that FSSAI’s latest amendments address the critical need for transparency in food labelling and help combat the rising prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. More such measures are needed to foster a healthier nation and the people make informed dietary choices.