HYDERABAD: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced food labelling for packaged food products but not many seem to be interested in knowing the nutrients contents.
A survey taken up in Hyderabad and New Delhi showed that only 20 per cent of people from a sample at super markets went through the nutrients contents on the packaged food products.
The survey was taken up by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in Hyderabad. Considering the problems of overweight, obesity and other diseases, the FSSAI had felt making it mandatory for food labels to carry nutrient contents would help consumers make a choice. "More people were interested in looking at the expiring date of the product," said SubbaRao M Gavaravarapu of NIN.
According to the findings of the survey, 92 per cent consumers reported that they read food labels. Of them, 40 per cent said they checked the food labels. It was found that 85 per cent of consumers checked the brand name and 80 per cent for expiry/ best before date. Only 20 per cent check for list of ingredients. The prepackaged foods that were brought were milk, biscuits, snacks and savories, beverages, oils, bakery foods, confectionary, cereal products, pulses, spices, jams/ jellies and marmalades.
"Nutrient information on labels was not often read because most consumers either lacked nutrition knowledge or found the information too technical to understand," the scientists involved in the study said.
As mandated, food labels have to carry information on energy (kcal), carbohydrate (g), total sugars, added sugar, total fat, saturated fat, transfat and cholesterol. It was reported that women and girls concerned about 'fat' and 'sugar' intake read the nutrition facts panel.
In what reflects the changes in lifestyle, it was found that a higher proportion of men (58.7 per cent) shopped for pre-packaged foods than women (41.4 per cent). The majory of consumers (58.4 per cent) belonged to nuclear families. Almost all consumers were literature (99 per cent) and a majority (60.8 per cent) were graduates.
While taste was the major draw for most adolescents, some of the elderly expressed concerns about additives and chemical preservatives added in pre-packaged foods.
"Since a majority of people found it difficult to comprehend nutrition information, there is a need to take up educational activities or introduce new forms of labelling," the scientists involved in the study advised.
