India Food Stats

The Mahua tree (Madhuca longifolia) is revered by many tribal and indigenous communities in India as a Kalpavriksha , the “wish‑fulfilling tree,” because nearly every part of it provides food, medicine, livelihood, and cultural value - Its flowers are eaten fresh, dried, used as sweeteners , fermented into liquor (also called "mahuli", "mahura","Ippa") - quite possibly the world's only flower-based spirit! Its seeds yield edible oil and illipe butter (used in chocolate and margarine) Its bark has medicinal properties Its leaves serve as fodder and support tassar silk production Back in the 19th century, British colonial authorities banned it to control tax revenue, labeling it a dangerous intoxicant. They even restricted the collection of the flowers themselves. The result? Production went underground, quality control went out the window, and unfortunately some genuinely unsafe batches gave the drink a bad name — a stigma that lingered long after India...

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):...

In Indian kitchens, most of us instinctively reach for that familiar-looking 1-litre pouch of cooking oil, expecting exactly one litre inside. However, many popular cooking oil brands now sell their products in pouches that look very similar to the standard 1-litre size, but actually contain slightly less oil — often 850 ml, 900 ml, or 950 ml. Some brands use tall, slim bottles to create a visual illusion and make 850g of oil look identical to a 1L bottle on a crowded supermarket shelf. This is psychological pricing in action. Consumers are very sensitive to a price jump from say ₹145 to ₹160. They are much less sensitive to the weight dropping from 910g to 850g if the price stays at ₹145. This practice, sometimes called “shrinkflation” or “non-standard sizing,” has become increasingly common in recent years. While the pack design, shape, and branding make the pouch appear almost identical to a full 1-litre pack, the actual volume printed on the label is smaller. For the average buye...

Here is a simplified guide on why reusing frying oil is dangerous and what the food safety regulations mean for your health. Why Reused Oil is a "Silent Killer" Every time you reheat oil for frying, it breaks down and loses its natural antioxidants. This degradation creates Total Polar Compounds (TPC) —toxic by-products that are directly linked to several chronic diseases. Long-Term Health Risks Regular consumption of food cooked in reused oil is not just about a bad stomach; it has serious long-term consequences: Heart Health: Increases "bad" cholesterol (LDL), leading to hypertension (high blood pressure), atherosclerosis (clogged arteries), and stroke. Metabolic Disorders: Linked to a higher risk of Diabetes and Obesity. Liver & Brain Health: Associated with liver damage and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Cancer: The formation of carcinogenic molecules like acrylamides and aldehydes during reheating can increase the risk of various cancers. The ...

Saffola Active Cooking Oil used to come as 1 litre (910g) pouch in 2024. The new pack looks almost exactly the same, but if you look carefully, the quantity is now 850g. All images: OpenFoodFacts.org Saffola Tasty+, which similarly used to come in 910g or 1 litre packs , is now just 820g—making it even less than Saffola Active. So if you thought you were paying less due to the GST changes, you might not realise that you’re actually getting less oil — unless you check the label VERY closely. The food you cook with it may still taste great, but this sneaky reduction in quantity definitely doesn’t feel good!

The NPTEL course on Food Oils and Fats: Chemistry and Technology  delivered by Prof Hari Niwas Mishra of IIT Kharagpur is of 12-weeks with 60 lectures of 30 minutes each. It covers the following topics - Course Overview and Introduction Food Lipids - Nature & Occurrences Edible Oils - Chemistry & Properties Expelling of Oils from Plant Sources Solvent Extraction of Edible Oils Edible Oils Refining & Deodourization Modifications of Oils and Fats Recovery of Fats from Animal Sources Commercial Cooking & Frying Oils Speciality Oils and Fats Products By-product Utilisation & Valorisation of Oil Processing Industry Waste  QA/QC, Laws, Regulations and Policies Suggested Readings: Bailey's Industrial Oil and Fat Products - Fereidoon Shahidi Edible Oils: Extraction, Processing and Applications - Smain Chemat Fats and Oils: Formulating and Processing for Application - Richard D. Obrien Food Chemistry - Srinivasan Damodaran, Kirk L. Parkin. Owen R. Fennema Food O...

Palm oil is a widely used ingredient found in a vast array of processed food and consumer products. Its presence in everyday items like chocolates, biscuits, cakes, soaps, shampoos, and cleaning products underscores its significance in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector.  Did you know that in products like instant noodles, palm oil can comprise up to 20% of the total weight according to this NDTV Profit article . Palm oil constitutes a significant portion of the raw material costs for many FMCG companies.  For giants like Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL), this essential ingredient can make up 15-20% of their total raw material expenses, while it is even higher for Britannia and Nestle. HUL obtains its supply from its subsidiary, Unilever Oleochemical Indonesia.  The recent 12% surge in palm oil prices, representing a 46% year-on-year increase, has put a strain on these companies, squeezing their profit margins.  To mitigate the impact of rising prices, compani...

I analyzed 99 Ghee & Oil products (with known nutrition facts as of September 26, 2024) from the India database on Open Food Facts—the "Wikipedia of food." The data, sourced from Open Food Facts and subsequently cleaned, is available on GitHub in CSV format . You can explore the curated datasets for Ghee & Oils conveniently using the online Flat Viewer tool or through Excel or any other spreadsheet software after downloading it. The following chart can help you compare different types of cooking oils and make informed choices based on your individual needs and preferences. It shows the amounts of saturated fat, monounsaturated fat (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) for each product. All these types of fats offer approximately 900 kcal of energy, with 0g protein, 0g carbs, and roughly 100g fat per 100g serving. The chart has been created using data from Open Food Facts and validated with nutrition labels on Amazon for these branded food products: Coco Soul ...