Mumbai: A comprehensive analysis of more than one lakh packaged food and drink labels has unearthed ingredient and nutrition labelling loopholes which may potentially impact the health of millions of Indians. In an astonishing revelation via internal research conducted by Xume, which operates at the intersection of food tech and health, close to 40 per cent of products analysed do not transparently disclose critical information required to make healthier food choices.
The study revealed several gaps in ingredient and nutrition transparency, not just in HFSS products (high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar), but also in categories like milk, peanut butter, muesli and protein bars. Current food labelling standards in India are in dire need of standardisation and transparency. With the aid of the government, ethical brands and consumers, collective action is required to tackle labelling loopholes being consciously exploited.
A WHO India 2022 report, ‘The growth of ultra-processed foods in India’ which cites multiple studies, states that excessive intake of fats, oils, confectionery items rich in sugar (such as biscuits), and savoury snacks is linked to the growing NCD crisis. Coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, there is a growing epidemic of issues such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Currently, there are over 200 million hypertensives and 120 million diabetics/prediabetics in India.
“Transparent labelling is the key to catalysing a health and consumption revolution, especially in an environment where more consumers are endeavouring to choose healthy than ever before. This is step one in a multi–pronged strategy to mitigate the growing NCD (lifestyle disease) epidemic, linked to the growing consumption of ultra-processed food and drink. We are working with many stakeholders to drive clean labelling and nutrition literacy; a new movement to advocate for complete and honest labelling transparency is the need of the hour” added, Akshaye Jalan, Founder & CEO, Xume.
Some of the key insights from the study reveal many areas of concern including:
The reality behind ‘Zero’ claims: Products with minimal amounts of sugars, fats, or salts per serving are being labelled as zero due to loopholes being exploited by food manufacturers. ‘Appropriate’ serving sizes as strategically chosen to declare zero sugars, fats, and salts, despite these ingredients being present. As per prevalent guidelines, less than 0.5g of sugar per serving can still be labelled as zero sugar! The same is true for fat and saturated fat (<0.5g / serving), cholesterol and sodium (<5 mg/serving) and even trans fat (<0.5g / serving), which many governments have banned! For example, a popular Makhana brand uses a serving size of 14g to declare added sugars as 0g despite adding sugar (as evidenced by the ingredient list)!
Decoding unit economics and blank slates: Varying units (500mg vs 0.5g) for the same nutrient, makes foods appear healthier than claimed. Furthermore, brands can simply avoid declaring nutrients on their nutrition labels, despite their products having them. For example, a well-known seasoning brand which adds salt and sugar as ingredients does not declare the sodium and sugar quantities in the nutrition table.
