Suman Asthana5 hours ago
- Copy link
Whenever we buy any packaged food, we read the label first. We often buy it after checking what ingredients are used in it and how healthy it is from a health point of view. But what is written on the label of the packet is not clear. Sometimes it is not visible what exactly the ingredients are used. Claims about being heart healthy, natural or low fat are not always true. If you are buying food by reading the label, have the necessary information related to it.
Note the order of ingredients As per the guidelines of ‘FSSAI’ i.e. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, ingredients are listed by weight. The element with the highest weight is first in the list of elements. For example, wheat flour biscuits. If it contains more wheat flour, it will come first on the list. After that, the most used ingredient is sugar or milk in second place and the least used ingredient is named last. So you understand the extent to which the item you are buying it for is useful.
Nutrient Facts Wheat flour, brown rice syrup and palm oil are labeled as very nutritious on many packets. But wheat flour can also mean maida. If it says whole wheat flour instead, wheat has been used. Similarly, palm oil is made from plants, but it is a saturated fat, which is not a good fat. Many times the package says zero transfat, low sodium and high fiber, which is not necessarily true. It is best to buy stuff just by looking at the nutrition in the food list.
Use of alternative words… The contents of the list may also have a different name. High sugar can be words like corn syrup, honey, brown rice syrup. ‘OSE’ is used at the end of some words like glucose, maltose etc. Baking soda, monosodium, brine and sodium benzoate for salt. For fat there will be lard, partially hydrogenated, hydrogenated oils tallow and shortening. There are different codes for food coloring, such as E150 for brown. However, some ingredients, such as steviol glycosides, may be healthy.
Short list of ingredients Foods that do not use chemicals have a short list of ingredients. It also becomes easier to understand them and choose the right accessories. So, from now on, while buying packaged food, check the expiry date on it, check the ingredients and other important things in the respective food.
