FSSAI has mandated that packaged food items will now have to display information about certain ingredients prominently. Here’s why.
In a decision that the government hopes will spur Indians towards healthier food choices, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India recently mandated that packaged foods have to display salt, sugar and unsaturated fat content in bold, bigger font in the packs.
Why has the FSSAI singled out these three ingredients as the main villains in India’s fight against non communicable diseases? Medibulletin brings you an overview.
Salt
Salt is a crucial component of the body’s internal milieu. Both an increase and a decrease in the level of salt, no matter how minute can throw bodily processes off gear. That is why a dip in sodium (common salt is a mixture of sodium and chloride) is associated with such dramatic symptoms such as delirium that gets corrected as the electrolyte levels rise. But long term intake of high levels of salt is associated with a rise in blood pressure, kidney problems or even cancer.
According to the World Health Organisation: “The primary health effect associated with diets high in sodium is raised blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, gastric cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, Meniere’s disease, and kidney disease. An estimated 1.89 million deaths each year are associated with consuming too much sodium.” Chips, sandwiches and most savoury snacks are high in salt content.
Sugar
Of all the three items the ill effects of sugar are probably best known. Sugar is associated with obesity, some theories suggest it is addictive – the more sugar a person eats the more they crave it. But eating sugar does not cause diabetes. Diabetes is a metabolic disease that hampers the body’s ability to process carbohydrates – commonly referred to as sugar. An article published by the Harvard Medical School summed up the vagaries of sugar thus. “Consuming too much added sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which are pathological pathways to heart disease. Excess consumption of sugar, especially in sugary beverages, also contributes to weight gain by tricking your body into turning off its appetite-control system because liquid calories are not as satisfying as calories from solid foods. This is why it is easier for people to add more calories to their regular diet when consuming sugary beverages,” it said.
Saturated fat
Saturated fats are a class of fats found in butter, cheese, poultry and red meat. They are associated with increased risk of high cholesterol, which in its turn can clog the blood vessels and lead to heart problems. The American Heart Association recommends that about 5% to 6% of the daily calories of an individual can come from saturated fat.
For a diet of 2,000 calories a day, 120 calories can come from saturated fat- that is 13 grams per day.
