India has undergone significant transformation in a number of areas during the past few years. Increasing awareness of one's health is one of them. The younger generation in India is becoming increasingly aware of the substance, amount and ingredients in the food they eat. Still, we are a long way from curing India's pervasive diabetes and other health issues. More importantly, it has been indicated by studies that more and more adulterous and deceptive products flood the Indian market right now. The fact that Indians are not well-educated about the importance of product content analysis and through reading the labels is problematic. It goes without saying that it is crucial to be aware of what enters one's body when consuming. Additionally, with the abundance of packaged goods on the market nowadays, it is impossible to eat anything unprocessed. The bare minimum requires knowledge of components, their amount and their effects on the body. A YouTube influencer named ‘FoodPharmer’ recently started a campaign called ‘Label Padhega India’ with the goal of making people health-conscious by promoting literacy and raising awareness of the importance of reading the labels on packaged foods and beverages. Here are some pointers on how we can make better health choices by reading the labels on products..Don't read the package's frontUsually, we read the text that is printed on the front of the packet. The package's assertions are frequently false. Therefore, it is always a good idea to turn the package over and look at the labels at the back to see what's inside. Because the list on the back of the package is regulated, the truth cannot be concealed. For instance, the product's front may state that a certain ingredient is included. But in practice, the amount of this substance may be minuscule and hence, useless. As a result, you should disregard any statements made on the front of the packaging or even in the advertising. Instead, one must examine the component and nutritional labels to ascertain whether the food is healthy to consume or not.Ingredient ListWe should read the ingredient list first. Usually, this list is presented in decreasing weight order in such a way that the ingredient mentioned first is the one that dominates the product and has the most weight, while the ingredient listed last is the one with the least weight. Because of this, any food that lists refined wheat, sugar, or fat among its top three ingredients is unhealthy. Certain items additionally display the proportion of ingredients that comprise the entire product. This can assist us in monitoring the quantity of unhealthy substances added to our meal as we eat it and in figuring out whether the food, we are eating is rich in sugar or gluten and so on, it is also important to remember that Class I preservatives are preferred over Class II preservatives in circumstances where foods with preservatives cannot be avoided..Nutritional valueThis label informs us of the product's nutritional makeup. It shows the extra grams of protein, fibre and carbs per gram as stated on the label. It is crucial to remember that the column labelled ‘per serving’ should be ignored because, typically, it is not as accurate as the amount we actually consume per dish. It is thus preferable to take into account per gram, 100 grams, or as the product specifies. It's also crucial to pay attention to the product's sugar content, which represents the total sugar content of the food, including ‘added sugar’ and the food's natural sugar content. Some products include a separate column denoting ‘added sugar’ which indicates any artificial sugar that is added external to the natural sugar content of the product. It is not ideal to consume products high in sugar or sodium. It is advisable to consume foods high in protein and fibre. LogosIt's critical to identify the certifications that the product carries. All packaged goods must have an FSSAI with a licence number on them. All packaged drinking water has the ISI mark. AGMARK is applied to agricultural goods such as fruits, cereals, oils, spices, honey, vegetables and vegetable products. These logos ought to have certification for their quality. Products without these logos should be consumed at your own risk because they might have been tampered with..These are some considerations that should be made while purchasing any packaged foods or drinks from the market. Health needs, such as the maximum number of calories or sugar one can eat, must also be understood. Ensuring that our dietary intake aligns with our nutritional needs can contribute to our overall well-being and fitness. We have the opportunity to help make our nation healthy by being mindful of the food we eat.
India has undergone significant transformation in a number of areas during the past few years. Increasing awareness of one's health is one of them. The younger generation in India is becoming increasingly aware of the substance, amount and ingredients in the food they eat. Still, we are a long way from curing India's pervasive diabetes and other health issues. More importantly, it has been indicated by studies that more and more adulterous and deceptive products flood the Indian market right now. The fact that Indians are not well-educated about the importance of product content analysis and through reading the labels is problematic. It goes without saying that it is crucial to be aware of what enters one's body when consuming. Additionally, with the abundance of packaged goods on the market nowadays, it is impossible to eat anything unprocessed. The bare minimum requires knowledge of components, their amount and their effects on the body. A YouTube influencer named ‘FoodPharmer’ recently started a campaign called ‘Label Padhega India’ with the goal of making people health-conscious by promoting literacy and raising awareness of the importance of reading the labels on packaged foods and beverages. Here are some pointers on how we can make better health choices by reading the labels on products..Don't read the package's frontUsually, we read the text that is printed on the front of the packet. The package's assertions are frequently false. Therefore, it is always a good idea to turn the package over and look at the labels at the back to see what's inside. Because the list on the back of the package is regulated, the truth cannot be concealed. For instance, the product's front may state that a certain ingredient is included. But in practice, the amount of this substance may be minuscule and hence, useless. As a result, you should disregard any statements made on the front of the packaging or even in the advertising. Instead, one must examine the component and nutritional labels to ascertain whether the food is healthy to consume or not.Ingredient ListWe should read the ingredient list first. Usually, this list is presented in decreasing weight order in such a way that the ingredient mentioned first is the one that dominates the product and has the most weight, while the ingredient listed last is the one with the least weight. Because of this, any food that lists refined wheat, sugar, or fat among its top three ingredients is unhealthy. Certain items additionally display the proportion of ingredients that comprise the entire product. This can assist us in monitoring the quantity of unhealthy substances added to our meal as we eat it and in figuring out whether the food, we are eating is rich in sugar or gluten and so on, it is also important to remember that Class I preservatives are preferred over Class II preservatives in circumstances where foods with preservatives cannot be avoided..Nutritional valueThis label informs us of the product's nutritional makeup. It shows the extra grams of protein, fibre and carbs per gram as stated on the label. It is crucial to remember that the column labelled ‘per serving’ should be ignored because, typically, it is not as accurate as the amount we actually consume per dish. It is thus preferable to take into account per gram, 100 grams, or as the product specifies. It's also crucial to pay attention to the product's sugar content, which represents the total sugar content of the food, including ‘added sugar’ and the food's natural sugar content. Some products include a separate column denoting ‘added sugar’ which indicates any artificial sugar that is added external to the natural sugar content of the product. It is not ideal to consume products high in sugar or sodium. It is advisable to consume foods high in protein and fibre. LogosIt's critical to identify the certifications that the product carries. All packaged goods must have an FSSAI with a licence number on them. All packaged drinking water has the ISI mark. AGMARK is applied to agricultural goods such as fruits, cereals, oils, spices, honey, vegetables and vegetable products. These logos ought to have certification for their quality. Products without these logos should be consumed at your own risk because they might have been tampered with..These are some considerations that should be made while purchasing any packaged foods or drinks from the market. Health needs, such as the maximum number of calories or sugar one can eat, must also be understood. Ensuring that our dietary intake aligns with our nutritional needs can contribute to our overall well-being and fitness. We have the opportunity to help make our nation healthy by being mindful of the food we eat.