India Food Stats

Saffron    (Crocus sativus)  is the world's costliest spice by weight , often selling for US$5,000 per kilogram or higher. It takes about 170,000 flowers, or roughly 100 kilograms of blossoms, to produce just 1 kilogram of dry saffron, requiring forty hours of labor to harvest that many flowers. One freshly picked crocus flower yields on average only 7 mg of dried saffron. Kesar / kunkumapoo / kumkuma puvvu as it is called in different parts of India, is used as coloring agent and flavor enhancer in sweets & desserts as well as dishes like biryani or kheer.  Its name likely comes from the Old French "safran," tracing back through Latin and Persian to "zarparān," meaning "gold strung" . This implies either the golden stamens of the flower or the golden colour it creates. As of 2024, Iran produces around 88% of the world's saffron, with Afghanistan being the second largest producer. Saffron's distinctive iodoform-like or hay-like fragrance an...

Answer from Perplexity - Juice is fiber-free and nutrient-concentrated, while smoothies are fiber-rich, more filling, and use whole ingredients for a balanced nutritional profile. The main difference between a smoothie and juice lies in their preparation and nutritional content. Key Differences Preparation: Juice is made by extracting the liquid from fruits or vegetables, removing most or all of the fiber and pulp using a juicer. Smoothies are made by blending whole fruits and vegetables—including the pulp and skin—so they retain all the fiber and nutrients. Fiber Content: Juice contains little to no fiber, making it easy to digest and quickly absorbed. Smoothies are rich in fiber, resulting in a thicker, creamier texture and making them more filling. Nutrition: Juice provides a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and natural sugars. Smoothies offer a balanced mix of nutrients, including additional protein and healthy fats if ingredients like yogurt or nuts are added. Satiety an...

Cardamom, often referred to as the "queen of spices," provides numerous health benefits like aiding digestion, regulating blood pressure, promoting oral health with its antimicrobial properties, and supporting cardiovascular health. It belongs to the same spice family as ginger. The dried capsules yield an essential oil and oleoresin.  The aroma and therapeutic value of the spice is due to the essential oil (3-8%) whose main constituents are cineole, terpineole and limonene.  Cardamoms are largely used as a masticatory,  flavouring agent in cooking, confectionery and for medicinal purposes. In the Scandinavian countries it is used in flavouring cakes and portries. Types The two main types of cardamom are: True or green cardamom  (or white cardamom when bleached) comes from the species Elettaria cardamomum of the family Zingiberaceae and is distributed from India to Malaysia.  Green cardamom is the third most expensive spice in the world, after saffron and vani...

Image source - Open Food Facts Ever picked up a snack packet and laughed at the name?  One brand decided to call its mix of corn meal, oil, gram flour, salts, powdered spices, milk solids, citric acid, and the ever-present flavor enhancer (INS-621 or monosodium glutamate )… “Hyderabadi Veg Biryani.” Now, anyone who has had real Hyderabadi biryani knows it’s an elaborate affair of rice, vegetables (or meat), herbs, slow cooking, and aroma that lingers across the neighborhood. What you get here instead is a powdered shortcut, an unscrupulous seller's remix of pantry staples designed to taste like the idea of biryani. It’s a funny reminder of how processed foods borrow the names of beloved dishes to market themselves. “Veg Biryani” in this case is more about flavor dust than dum cooking. Next time you see such labels, remember—it’s not biryani, it’s branding. 👉 Real takeaway: always check the ingredients list, not just the fancy name on the packet.

Front-of-Pack Labelling (FOPL)  is a public health initiative aimed at making nutritional information easier for consumers to understand. Rather than analyzing detailed nutrition tables, this system offers bold, simple warnings about a product's healthiness by highlighting high levels of salt, sugar, or fat. This helps people spot health risks quickly without reading small print on the back. Although people may not entirely stop purchasing it, much like how cigarette warnings haven't eradicated smoking, it will raise awareness and encourage both consumers and producers to be more mindful. Why is India Introducing It? : India is facing a big rise in lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart problems. FOPL aims to fight this by making people aware of unhealthy ingredients in packaged foods, encouraging better choices. How It Started : The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is pushing for FOPL after a Supreme Court order . The court told FSSAI to creat...

Hatsun Agro Product Ltd, commonly known as Hatsun or HAP, is India's largest private sector dairy company based in Chennai.  It was established in 1970 by R. G. Chandramogan with the introduction of Arun Icecreams. The company went Public in 1996. HAP's brands include: Arun Icecreams Arokya Hatsun HAP daily Ibaco Santosa Havia Chocolates Hanobar Chocolates Milky Moo Daily Moo Dairy ingredients manufactured by HAP are exported to 42 countries around the world. HAP acquired Bhubaneswar-based Milk Mantra for ₹233 crore (US$28 million) in 2025.

FODMAP stands for f ermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols.   It refers to a group of carbohydrates that can be poorly absorbed in the small intestine, leading to digestive issues for some individuals, particularly those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) .  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder affecting approximately 15% of people worldwide.  The low FODMAP diet is designed to help individuals identify and eliminate foods that trigger symptoms like cramping, gas, and diarrhea, ultimately improving digestive health.  Studies show that many people with IBS experience significant relief from symptoms when following this diet.  For more detailed information on FODMAP-friendly foods, you can refer to specific food lists available online. 

Open Food Facts (OFF) is the world’s largest open food database and a reliable source of nutrition information on packaged goods.  While commercial apps in India maintain private food databases, their proprietary nature and cost often limit transparency. This lack of accessible nutrition awareness makes it harder for people to make healthy, informed choices. That’s why open data sources like those from  Open Food Facts , Indian Nutrient Databank -  INDB (for unprocessed foods), and National Institute of Nutrition ( NIN) play such a vital role for researchers, developers, and consumers alike. Since I began contributing to OFF in 2023 by adding products , editing products to improve data quality  (as much as possible) and visualizing the data , I’ve gained valuable insights into India’s packaged food market and connected with nutrition enthusiasts in India and abroad through OFF’s Slack and personal interactions.  Motivated by growing concerns about U...

The Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI) released a noteworthy report in 2023 analyzing the nutritional quality of 1,901 food and beverage products from 20 large global companies operating in India. The report’s summary concluded: “On balance, it is reasonable to conclude that the average healthiness of the products provided and sold by the largest Indian food companies is sub-optimal.” After reading that, I was curious to explore the NOVA classification of foods sold in India, using data from the Open Food Facts (OFF) India database, which includes nutrition details for over 16,000 packaged products. 📊 Check out How Processed Are Popular Indian Food Brands to see a brand-wise distribution of products by NOVA Group. Currently, the analysis covers 25 brands, but the plan is to gradually expand it to the 3,000+ brands listed in the OFF India database. We place a lot of trust in food brands. But since every one of them also sells ultra-processed foods (UPFs), it’s vital to read label...