Top 10 Misleading Claims on Indian Food Products

Food packaging is designed to sell. Front-of-pack claims are carefully crafted to make products seem healthier than they are. While not always technically false, these claims often create misleading impressions. Here are the ten most common ones found on Indian food products.

1. "No Added Sugar"

This means no sugar was added during manufacturing. But the product can still be high in sugar from natural sources like fruit concentrates, honey, or fruit juice. Many "no added sugar" fruit juices and jams are just as high in sugar as their regular counterparts. Always check total sugar in the nutrition table.

2. "Baked, Not Fried"

Baking typically uses less oil than frying, but "baked" products often compensate with additional sugar, sodium, or fat to maintain taste and texture. A baked chip may have fewer calories from fat but significantly more sodium. Compare the full nutrition profiles, not just the fat content.

3. "Multigrain" or "Whole Grain"

"Multigrain" simply means multiple grains are used, but they could all be refined. Unless the label specifically says "100% whole grain" and lists whole grains as the first ingredients, the product may be predominantly refined flour (maida). Many multigrain breads and biscuits in India contain more maida than whole grains.

4. "Cholesterol Free"

Cholesterol is only found in animal products. Plant-based oils like palm oil and coconut oil never contained cholesterol. Labelling vegetable oil as "cholesterol free" is technically true but misleading because it implies a health benefit that was never at risk. These oils can still be high in saturated fat.

5. "Fortified with Vitamins and Minerals"

Adding synthetic vitamins to an otherwise unhealthy product does not make it healthy. Many sugar-laden cereals, biscuits, and drinks use fortification as a health halo. The vitamins added are the same ones you could get from eating actual fruits and vegetables, without the accompanying sugar and processed ingredients.

6. "Contains Real Fruit"

Check the percentage. Indian regulations require the fruit content percentage to be declared. Many products claiming "real fruit" contain as little as 2-5% actual fruit, with the rest being sugar, water, flavouring, and colour. A product with 3% fruit content is essentially a sugar drink with fruit flavouring.

7. "Light" or "Lite"

In India, there are limited regulations on the use of "light" or "lite" on food labels. It could mean lighter in colour, lighter in taste, lighter in texture, or lighter in calories. Without checking the nutrition table, you have no way of knowing which interpretation the manufacturer intends. Often, a "lite" version has only marginally fewer calories than the regular one.

8. "Made with Olive Oil"

Check the ingredient list carefully. Many products that claim "made with olive oil" use it as a minor ingredient alongside much larger quantities of cheaper oils like palm oil or sunflower oil. If olive oil appears near the end of the ingredient list, it is present in negligible quantities.

9. "No Preservatives"

While the product may not contain traditional preservatives, it might use high sugar content, high sodium content, or acidifiers to achieve the same shelf-life extension. A jam with "no preservatives" that contains 65% sugar is preserved by the sugar itself. The absence of preservatives does not automatically make a product healthier.

10. "High in Protein"

Protein has become a major selling point, but many "high protein" products achieve their protein content through cheap protein isolates while also being high in sugar, artificial sweeteners, or unhealthy fats. A protein bar with 20g of protein but also 15g of sugar and multiple artificial additives is not necessarily a healthy choice. Always look at the complete nutrition profile, not just the protein number.

How to Protect Yourself

The golden rule is simple: ignore the front of the pack and go straight to the back. The ingredient list and nutrition table contain the regulated, factual information. Front-of-pack claims are marketing. Use a food scanning tool to quickly cut through the claims and see the real picture.