No added sugar or sweet lies? How health-washing is misleading us

You’re watching what you eat but luckily for you, supermarket shelves are lined with product labels that scream ‘no added sugar’, ‘no maida’, ‘no trans-fat’, ‘cholesterol free’ and ‘wholegrain’. You toss the juice with the real fruit, the high-protein soy sticks and the millet ice cream into the cart, happy that you can finally indulge without sacrificing on your health goals. But watch out, you may have fallen for ‘health-washing’, the marketing trick that highlights one healthy attribute while leaving the not-so-healthy ones hidden in the fine print.A few months ago, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) came out with a set of guidelines advising people to read food labels thoroughly and make informed decisions. It pointed out that tags such as ‘no-cholesterol’ or ‘heart-friendly’ could be misleading too as even plant-based oil with no cholesterol are 100% fat and should, therefore, be consumed in moderate quantities. As for juice, ICMR said a product claiming to have real fruit may have only 10% actual fruit pulp apart from added sugar and additives.The non-profit Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), which campaigns against ultra processed foods, recently raised concerns about McDonald’s India’s new multi-millet burger created in partnership with a CSIR food research lab. It said that merely adding millets to highly processed foods did not make them healthier. “The overall nutritional quality of the product is determined by its complete ingredient profile and the extent of processing, which is nowhere reflected in the promotional information,” noted the NAPi statement. NAPi convenor Arun Gupta urged for more transparency in marketing messages. Podcast: NAPI's Arun Gupta explains how 'healthy foods' have excess sugar “Why go for taglines suggesting something is ‘real food’ or ‘real good’ when it’s not? Our local halwai making samosas and gulab jamuns doesn’t make such claims. Yet, we eat these items because we want to and not because of marketing gimmicks,” he says.One reason why brands create these ‘health halos’ or this virtuous façade is to lure the health-conscious consumer. According to Avendus Capital, India’s health food market, which is growing at the world’s fastest rate of 20%, is expected to reach $30 billion by 2026.Examples of health halos abound. A box of cereal might stress the protein and ‘no added sugar’ but might come loaded with alternatives like high fructose corn syrup and maltodextrin which are much worse for you. Roasted makhana packets tout their protein and calcium content but don’t tell you that they are ‘roasted’ in oil. Take zero-sugar ice cream brands. medium nocaption113552996“If you read the label, you will find artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols like erythritol that come with their own adverse effects,” says Bengaluru-based chef Adithya Kidambi. He says his line of tonic water under the Mossant Fermentary label sticks to less sugar rather than using substitutes. There are other clean labels too like The Whole Truth which promises that what is on the label is what is inside.Some companies have made a genuine effort to replace ingredients that are problematic, others are using marketing messages to present a healthier face to the world. Experts, however, caution against writing off all healthy labels. “If we start dissing these new practices that big food brands are undertaking, like reducing sugar or bringing out comparatively healthier products, then even this will not happen. They are at least trying, and maybe this is the first step,” says nutritionist and health consultant Kavita Devgan. She feels a millet burger or grilled rather than fried chicken is still a healthier alternative. “The answer lies in educating the customer to make conscious decisions,” says Devgan, adding that India should adopt easy-to-decipher labels like the Nutri-Grade mark of A, B, C, D used in Singapore to inform consumers about the degrees of sugar and saturated fat content. mediumhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IfjtE2ADqUThere is some work on that front, though by private firms. Bengaluru-based F&B consultant Thinking Forks helps big and small brands launch products that comply with market and safety regulations. A month ago, they devised a Goodness Meter to help ‘honest brands’ showcase their goodness. In this accreditation process, brands submit their documents online to allow a panel of experienced food experts to vet and score products. Stage-wise scores determine if a food product is eligible for a goodness meter accreditation based on metrics set by WHO, FSSAI, Health Star Rating and so on. Finally, a logo and a QR code are generated for the product label, which customers can scan to understand how a product was certified. “Often, brands fail to understand the difference between a function claim and a product claim. If a product contains an active ingredient like ashwagandha, listing its benefits on the label is within regulations as that’s a function claim. However, saying a product, as a whole, boosts immunity or prevents illness just because it contains some of these ingredients is not allowed without clinical trials to support the claim. Many brands do that due to a lack of awareness,” says Thinking Forks founder Rinka Banerjee.Till the govt cracks down on misleading food labels, it’s up to consumers to cut through the noise. Kaajol Jain, a 46-year-old Delhi-based entrepreneur, used to find herself falling for false health claims till she educated herself. “I now listen to podcasts, follow some legit influencers, talk to people who have health and fitness goals and learn from their discoveries. When you ask the right questions, you learn,” she says.