India Food Stats 🌶️🔥

Mandates from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for e-commerce food business operators (FBOs) : Food items delivered online must have a minimum shelf life of 30% or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery. For example, if a packet of butter has a 10-day shelf life, it must have at least 3 days of shelf life left when delivered. For food items with longer shelf lives (e.g., 3 or 6 months), a minimum of 45 days of shelf life should remain at the time of delivery. No FBO can operate on any e-commerce platform without a valid FSSAI license or registration. Product claims made on e-commerce platforms must align with the information on product labels and adhere to FSSAI's Labelling and Display Regulations. Food items and non-food items should be delivered separately to consumers to avoid potential contamination.

Did you know that fatty liver disease (FLD) is becoming a major health concern, even surpassing other noncommunicable diseases?  It's a silent epidemic affecting a whopping 30% of the general population !  Indians are particularly susceptible to a severe form of liver disease called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) due to a gene called PNPLA3 . This gene can cause fat buildup, inflammation, and cell damage in the liver.  Shockingly, 90% of people with diabetes and obesity also have fatty liver disease !  The scary part? Many people don't even know they have it because it often has no symptoms. It's not just an issue for those who consume alcohol - it can affect men, women, and even children! So, how can you show your liver some love ? *  Limit your sugar intake: Sugary drinks, sweets, white bread, and other high-glycemic foods can increase insulin levels, leading to fat storage in your liver.  * Cut down on refined carbs: These can also contribute to fat buildup.  * 

Nutrient profiling involves classifying or ranking foods based on their nutritional content to prevent disease and promote health. Notable nutrient profile models applicable to Asia and India include the Australasian Health Star Rating (HSR) and the WHO South East Asia Region (WHO SEAR) Nutrient Profile Model (NPM). To work optimally, nutrient profile models rely on the availability of comprehensive nutrition information.  In India, national nutrition labelling legislation generally only requires the display of energy content (in kilocalories), protein, carbohydrates, total sugars and total fats. Amounts of other nutrients are only required where a nutrient content claim is made. The table below from the ATNI-TGI India Product Profile 2023 [^PDF] shows the alignment of nutrients required for the Health Star Rating and WHO SEAR with those required by Indian labelling legislation Fiber is a notable omission, missing from the list.

WWF or World Wide Fund for Nature (Formerly World Wildlife Fund), is an independent conservation organisation, with more than 38 million followers and a global network active through local leadership in over 100 countries. The latest report from WWF, the 2024 Living Planet Report , highlights the urgent need for sustainable agricultural practices to address the environmental challenges posed by the global food system. Packed with statistics, the report makes a strong case for why we must change how we produce and consume food before it's too late. Key Findings: Farming, including paddy fields, fishing trawlers, dairy farms, and coffee plantations, contributes a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. If the projected 10 billion people on Earth in 2050 adopt the diets of countries like Australia or Argentina, we would need 7-8 Earths to produce enough food. 71% of agricultural land is used for grazing livestock, leaving only 30% for growing crops for human consumption. Agriculture cons