Do you remember the big disappointment in 2015 when Maggi was banned in India? If not, let me remind you. On June 5, 2015, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned Maggi for five months because of high lead levels, which led Nestle India to withdraw it from the market.
It’s been almost a decade now, and it feels like big companies keep pulling the wool over our eyes with their labels.
Recent news about MDH and Everest’s unsafe spices, and Nestle's sugary baby food has raised concerns about whether these companies prioritize profits over our health. These companies were accused of selling products that not only harm children’s health but can also cause cancer.
It’s a good reminder to pay attention to what we buy, because sometimes that flashy packaging hides some not-so-healthy stuff inside. So, next time you pick up a package at the grocery store that seems like a healthy choice, pause before putting it in your cart.
Here's a quick guide to reading food labels so you don't get tricked.
Please Read the Ingredients List
Product ingredients are listed in order of quantity, from the highest to the lowest amount. This means the first ingredient is the most used by the manufacturer. A helpful tip is to check the first three ingredients, as they make up the majority of what you’re consuming.
Serving Size Matters
Serving size is always listed first on the label, and all other information is based on that size. The servings per container show how many portions are in the whole package.
However, be careful, as many packages contain more than one serving. For example, if your orange juice label says 125 calories per 100 ml serving and you drink a 200 ml glass at breakfast, you’re consuming 250 calories from the juice alone—about as many as in many chocolate bars.
Look For Fat: The Good, the Bad, and the Really Bad
Check the saturated and trans fat content of your food. For a healthy diet, keep saturated fat and cholesterol low, and avoid trans fats completely. Look for foods with 0 grams of trans fat and the lowest amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol.
Avoid foods with "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" in the ingredients. Opt for foods made with healthy unsaturated oils like olive, canola, or safflower.
Is It Worth the Salt?
Compare the sodium content to the calories per serving. To manage your salt intake, choose products where the sodium content is less than or equal to the calories per serving. For instance, if a food has 250 calories per serving, aim for no more than 250 mg of sodium.
If you need to limit your salt intake significantly, opt for low-sodium, low-salt, or unsalted versions.
Check for the Various Names for Sugar
Sugar, regardless of its name, provides almost no nutrients other than pure carbohydrates. Consuming a lot of sugar fills you with empty calories, prevents you from eating nutritious foods, and strains your body's ability to maintain a healthy blood sugar level.
Avoid foods where sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup, corn sugar, fructose, or high-fructose corn syrup are listed among the first three ingredients.
Other names for sugar include agave nectar, brown sugar, cane sugar, corn sweetener, dextrose, maltose, fruit juice concentrate, and glucose.
Watch Out for the Most Misleading Claims
Health claims on packaged food are designed to grab your attention and convince you that the product is healthy.
Here are some common claims and their meanings:
- Light: Light products have fewer calories or fat, but some are just watered down. Check if they’ve added sugar instead.
- Multigrain: This sounds healthy but only means the product has more than one type of grain, often refined. If it’s not one of the first three ingredients, the amount is negligible.
- Organic: This label doesn’t guarantee healthiness. For example, organic sugar is still sugar, and organic certification can sometimes only indicate the production methods, not the nutritional quality of the food.
- Low-calorie: These products have one-third fewer calories than the original, but another brand’s low-calorie version could have similar calories to another’s original.
- Made with whole grains: The product might have very little whole grain. If it’s not one of the first three ingredients, the amount is negligible.
- Fruit-flavored: Products like strawberry yogurt might not contain any actual fruit, just chemicals designed to taste like it.
Despite these cautions, many genuinely healthy foods are organic, whole grain, or natural. But remember, a packaging claim doesn’t automatically make a product healthy.
Edited by Harshajit Sarmah
