The people of India will be able to make healthier choices about what to eat after the regulator’s proposed colour-coding system will enforce makers of processed foods to disclose potentially harmful sugar, salt, and fat levels in their products.
If you are inclined to invest in food products depending on how markets are expecting you to choose from, then it is needed to take into account their impact on our overall health. Sugar and salt are added while processing to enhance taste, flavour and to increase the palatability and shelf-life to some extent. But hidden sugar, salt, and fat content are potential risk factors for developing lifestyle disorders like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and cancer.
The proposed traffic-light labelling rules by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will help people instantly to know whether the quantity of sugar, salt, and fat in packaged food products is high, medium, or low.
It would be clear to consumers that the food product with a green colour code would be the healthiest choice. While an amber colour would mean the product is safe enough to consume moderately and red is unhealthy.
The latest measures are part of a wider government push to improve the health of Indians and includes must-have information alongside colour codes on food and drink items such as a list of ingredients, details about their nutritional information, date and place of manufacturing, and expiry date. Rational decision-making serves as a raw material to build a healthy foundation for an individual. Rational decision making is a tool to live a healthy and happy life. One should follow ‘the nudge’ term coined by Nobel Prize winner economist Richard Thaler. Nudge draws human psychology and thinking towards better decision-making by modified behaviours without any subsequent compulsion.
Colour-coding is a default option that can be a nudge for making healthy choices. For instance, if a restaurant serves a burger as a side dish, by default, people will prefer burgers and not ask for a salad. Nudging tends to be a useful approach to healthy behaviour modification as people tend to go with default options. In practice, default options play an important role in decision making. Hence, the colour-coding system as a public health strategy can nudge people towards healthy eating habits.
It’s not that complicated as you think
There are some tips to follow so as to beat manufacturers who make your food choices market-driven and unhealthy.
Cut down on processed foods and drinks (these contain hidden sugars or added sugars).
Sweeten your food with fresh and seasonal fruits, not artificial sweeteners (harmful for long-term use).
Cook your food at home more often (add herbs and spices to food to enhance flavour).
Read labels on packaged food carefully.
The bottom line
A good diet should offer plenty of choices, relatively few restrictions, and no expensive special foods on your grocery list. It should be something you can sustain for years. This type of diet won’t give you a quick-fix but arsenal with a better nudge towards long-term healthy choices. A shift in thinking approach will surely lift the nutritional status of people by fostering healthy eating habits. The measures will make it a lot easier for consumers to choose healthy options with guided motivation to help improve the nation’s health.
(The author is a nutritionist.)