Understanding India’s Packaged Foods with Open Food Facts

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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 Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs), this year I’ve closely tracked products with NOVA ratings 1–3 (non-UPF) to see which brands deliver the best value and health benefits. My research reinforced one important truth: almost every popular brand has UPFs in its mix, making it essential to read labels carefully and choose wisely.

Key Stats

As an active member of the OFF community in India, I’m happy to share that awareness and participation in India is growing:

Potential Projects for the Year Ahead

  • Expand Crowdin translations for OFF pages into India’s 22 official languages to reach 1.4 billion people in their regional language.

  • Localize Open Food Prices for India to help consumers make cost-efficient choices.

  • Add more Indian food and ingredient names to the taxonomy for better recognition and ratings.

  • Use historical label data to spot trends such as shrinkflation, ingredient swaps, and quantity changes.

If you're interested in food transparency or open data, Open Food Facts is a great platform to contribute to and use for the public good.

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