India Food Stats

India is the world’s largest importer of edible oil , running a massive deficit to keep its kitchens running. Here is how the country went from self-sufficiency to a 60% import dependency, told through the numbers. The Macro Picture: A ₹1.72 Trillion Bill The Fiscal Shock: In FY26, India shelled out ₹1.72 trillion to import cooking oils. The Comparison: This massive import bill is higher than the Union government’s entire annual budget for the farm sector (₹1.59 trillion). The Dependency: India currently relies on foreign markets for 60% of its total cooking oil requirements. Palm oil alone commands a staggering one-third of all oil consumed nationwide. Image: Mint The Consumption Boom 1980–81: The average Indian consumed less than 4 kg of cooking oil per year . 2021–22: Annual per capita consumption skyrocketed to nearly 20 kg , fueled by a consumer shift toward "pure," odorless, colorless, and solvent-extracted refined oils. The 30-Year U-Turn The Golden Era (Early 1990s):...

Cholesterol has a bit of a bad reputation. But this waxy, fat-like substance is actually an unsung hero living inside every one of your cells. Our body contains about 100 grams of cholesterol. That’s a surprisingly decent amount for something we’re often told to fear! Cholesterol is made mainly in the liver (67–75%), with the rest coming from your diet (25–33%). It’s essential for: Building flexible but sturdy cell membranes Making hormones Producing vitamin D Creating bile acids that help you digest fats In short, without cholesterol, your body would throw a serious tantrum. Because fats don’t mix well with water (think oil and water in a bottle), our body cleverly packages cholesterol into tiny delivery vehicles called lipoproteins: LDL (“Bad” cholesterol): The delivery truck that drops cholesterol off around the body. Too many trucks and traffic jams (plaques) can form in your arteries. HDL (“Good” cholesterol): The cleanup crew that hauls excess cholesterol back to the liver for re...

Milky Mist began in 1985 as a modest milk trading operation in Tamil Nadu has evolved into a technology-driven manufacturer of value-added dairy and convenience foods.  Headquartered in Perundurai, Erode district, the company processes milk from over 60,000–70,000 farmers across Tamil Nadu and parts of Karnataka, channeling it into high-quality, consumer-friendly products. The company’s state-of-the-art 55-acre mega plant in Perundurai (commissioned around 2018–2020) processes up to 1–1.5 million litres of milk per day. This facility supports one of India’s largest single-location paneer productions (around 60 tonnes/day, with plans to scale higher). Brand Journey & Milestones 1985: Started as a milk trading company. 1994: Began paneer production  1997: The "Milky Mist" brand was born. 1999–2014: Formalized as a partnership, then private limited company. May 2025: Transitioned to a public limited company, reflecting its scale and ambitions. Core Product Portfolio (400+ SK...

Some food packets quietly list ingredients and move on with their lives. Others arrive with the energy of a multilingual UN conference. Enter the delightfully overqualified label on  Parag Moong Punjabi Papad At first glance, it is a standard papad packet: moong dal, black pepper, cumin, asafoetida, edible oil. Familiar territory. Source:  Open Food Facts Then you turn the packet over. And discover the ingredients listed in six languages! The label marches confidently through: English Hindi Spanish French German Arabic Somewhere between the English and German sections, you begin wondering whether the papad itself has a passport. The ingredient list also contains one of the most unintentionally dramatic phrases ever printed on a snack packet: Plant Based Sodium Bicarbonate (Saaji) Not “baking soda.” Not even “raising agent.” No. This papad chose scientific prestige. “Plant Based Sodium Bicarbonate” sounds like something presented at a sustainability conference by a startup foun...

Before oats became the poster child of healthy eating in India, there was barley. Or more specifically, barley water. For many Indians who grew up in the 1980s and 90s, barley water was not a wellness trend but a household remedy. It appeared during hot summers, fevers, upset stomachs, and doctor-advised “light diets.” Known locally as jau, it has been part of Indian food traditions for centuries, especially in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and parts of the Himalayan region. Long before oats became the face of “healthy breakfast food,” barley was already being used in rotis, porridges, sattu-like drinks, soups, and even temple offerings. Yet somewhere along the way, it lost the spotlight to shinier imported grains and aggressively marketed breakfast cereals. Nutrition Comparison: Natureland Organics Barley Dalia vs Quaker Rolled Oats Nutrient (per 100g) Energy 406 kcal 407 kcal ...