Reading labels of Packaged Foods is critical

With rising health awareness in India, more families are carefully choosing what they eat. However, many packaged foods use attractive marketing words like healthy, natural or made with dry fruits. The real truth lies in the ingredient list.

As per the rules of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), every packaged food must list ingredients in descending order of weight. This simple rule helps you identify whether the food is genuinely nutritious or highly processed.

What Does “Ingredients Listed in Descending Order by Weight” Mean?

FSSAI regulations state that:

Ingredients must be declared in descending order of their weight at the time of manufacturing.

This means:

• The first ingredient is used in the highest quantity
• The second ingredient is used in the second highest quantity
• The last ingredient is used in the smallest quantity

This helps consumers make informed food choices.

Example: How Ingredient Order Reveals Food Quality

Example 1: Typical Market Laddoo

Ingredients:
Sugar, Refined Oil, Besan, Almonds, Cardamom

This means:

• Sugar is the main ingredient
• Almonds are present in very small quantity

This laddoo contains more sugar than nutrition.

Example 2: Paaramparik Laddoos

Ingredients:
Dates, Almonds, Pure Desi Ghee, Natural Spices

This means:

• Dry fruits are the main ingredient
• No refined sugar
• No artificial additives

This is true traditional nutrition.

Why This FSSAI Rule Protects Consumers

This regulation prevents misleading claims like:

• Made with dry fruits
• Contains almonds
• Healthy snack

Even if these ingredients are present in very small amounts, companies must disclose the truth in the ingredient list.

This ensures:

• Transparency
• Safety
• Consumer awareness

How to Identify Healthy Packaged Foods in India

When buying laddoos or snacks, follow these tips:

1. Check the First Ingredient

Choose products where the first ingredient is:

• Dates
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Whole foods

Avoid products where the first ingredient is:

• Sugar
• Refined flour
• Artificial ingredients

2. Choose Products with Simple Ingredients

Healthy food does not need long ingredient lists.

Traditional foods are made with:

• Few ingredients
• Natural ingredients

3. Avoid Hidden Sugars

Sugar may appear as:

• Glucose syrup
• Maltose
• Sucrose

The ingredient list is the most honest part of any food package.

Always remember: The first ingredient defines the quality of the product.

 

Pic Credit: Anaatnutrition4you