Why are sugary processed foods harmful? | Explained

Story so far: The past week has brought renewed attention to the high sugar content of flavored malt-based formulas and baby foods. Government officials have warned against branding such products as “healthy” and condemned misleading advertising and marketing strategies using products with added sugar.

Why is it a problem to label malt-based, sugary dairy products as “healthy” drinks?

If we analyze the product in question (for example, a drink like Bournvita), we will find that it contains 86.7 g of carbohydrates per 100 g, of which 49.8 g are sugars. Of the total sugars, 37.4g is sucrose or added sugar. For every 20g of chocolate powder per recommended serving, consumers save almost 10g of total sugar. “Apart from added sugar, sugar is also produced in malting processes such as germinating, drying, roasting and powdering cereals. Malting is a process originally used to make single malt whisky; It is also used for manufacturing malt-based milk drinks,” said a member of the Scientific Committee of Food Standards and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI). hinduism. When grains germinate, the starch in the grains is broken down into sugar by the action of a group of enzymes called amylases. Roasting caramelizes the sugar and increases the flavor. “Maltose is nothing but two glucose, a type of sugar, bound together.Apart from added sugar, chocolate powder also contains maltodextrin, liquid glucose, and maltose produced during the malting process of grains. “It includes,” the member said.

What is FSSAI’s position on sugar content?

among them Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations 2018, FSSAI states that a product can only claim “low sugar” if its total sugar content is less than 5g per 100g. Any product that is “low in sugar” is potentially “healthy.” However, if a product does not meet this requirement and still promotes or sells the product as a ‘health drink’, it is problematic, the FSSAI scientific committee member added. “This means that, for example, if a child drinks four cups of this so-called drink, they will end up ingesting 40 grams of sugar, which is lower than the World Health Organization’s recommended intake standard of 25 grams or six teaspoons. This is because it is expensive” amount of sugar per day. Indian households sometimes add a teaspoon of sugar to chocolate powder drinks,” the member added.

What is the controversy over baby food?

A closer look at the ingredients in the Wheat Apple Cherry Baby Cereal for children aged 8 months to 24 months, which Nestlé sells in India under the brand name Cerelac, includes total sugars from milk solids, maltodextrin. , glucose etc. The company recommends feeding 12 spoonfuls, or 100 grams, of baby food to children between 1 and 2 years old each day. This means your baby will consume 24 grams of sugar every day. Experts say this is a harmful practice. “Babies only know the taste of breast milk. Lactose, a naturally occurring form of sugar, is not very sweet. When a child transitions from breast milk to complementary foods, they are being given extra sugar. “Excess sugar in a baby’s diet puts unnecessary pressure on the baby’s pancreas, leading to the production of excess insulin, which can lead to diabetes and obesity in the future,” the member said. Maltodextrin’s white starchy powder has a higher glycemic index (GI) than table sugar, so adding ingredients like maltodextrin to improve flavor or texture can be harmful. GI is a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. The member added that excess sugar is converted into triglycerides, a type of fat that accumulates in the liver and causes insulin resistance, which can lead to fatty liver and diabetes.

A study co-published by the Indian Council of Medical Research says that an estimated 101.3 million people in India may have diabetes.

Will the FSSAI investigation be enough to curb the use of misleading labels?

In September 2022, FSSAI released a draft notification stating that high-fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods mean processed foods that contain high levels of saturated fat, total sugar, and sodium.

This draft notification has been published to explain the components of HFSS foods and how to warn consumers about HFSS foods on the front-of-pack label of a food package or beverage bottle. This means that a product is high in fat and/or sugar if it derives more than 10% of its total energy (kcal) from sugar and/or saturated fat.

However, the FSSAI had left regulations open-ended on whether companies would have to declare fat, sugar and salt content on the face of packs. They also want “star health ratings” rather than warning labels.

“Warning labels let consumers know in advance whether a product is high in fat, salt or sugar. Health stars can be misleading. “They don’t have the time or knowledge to calculate whether a product is high in sugar or not,” said Dr. Arun Gupta, chairman of Nutrition Advocates in the Public Interest (NAPi) and former member of the Council of Prime Ministers. About nutritional issues in India.

What is the way forward?

According to the Food Safety and Standards (Infant Nutrition) Rules, 2019, the use of sugar in milk cereal-based complementary foods is allowed, Dr. Gupta points out. This regulation states that lactose and glucose polymers are the preferred carbohydrates for food and infant nutrition. Sucrose and/or fructose should not be added unless needed as a carbohydrate source and their total does not exceed 20% of total carbohydrates. “The regulations allow the use of sugar, so we need to review the regulations,” he says.

The first step, therefore, is to put in place comprehensive regulations for all beverages and foods that clearly define what is “healthy” and what is “unhealthy,” Dr. do. “Draft notifications are placed on pack labels and on the front of high-fat, sugar and salt foods, which are then kept under refrigeration after taking comments from all concerned,” Dr. Gupta said. The fundamental problem is marketing and forcing it onto unsuspecting consumers.

Hindustan Unilever Limited’s 2022 annual report states that the company has partnered with Pune’s Zilla Parishad on a mid-day meal program and added hot drinks listed as “health food beverages” to the existing takeaway rations that were scheduled to be served. It says that Rix was added. to children in 4,600 Anganwadi centers covering 1.45 million children between the ages of 3 and 6 years.

Additionally, the Infant Milk Substitution Act prohibits infant foods from being advertised. But the rules are often ignored and social media influencers promote baby food, says Dr. Gupta. “Strong action needs to be taken against illegal advertising,” he added.