India Food Stats

World Food Safety Day, observed on June 7th, is dedicated to raising awareness and prompting actions that help prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks. This contributes to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism, and sustainable development. Food safety saves lives. It is not only a crucial component to food security, but it also plays a vital role in reducing foodborne disease. Every year, 600 million people fall sick as a result of around 200 different types of foodborne illness. The burden of such illness falls most heavily on the poor and on the young. In addition, foodborne illness is responsible for 420,000 preventable deaths every year. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has created a collection of leaflets that detail the measures individuals can take in various environments to guarantee the safe production, storage, serving, and consumption of food, as well as highlighting the significance and advantag...

Image source: Open Food Facts The FSSAI has issued a directive requiring all food business operators to cease using the claim "100% fruit juice" on labels and advertisements for reconstituted fruit juices, effective immediately. After a detailed review, the FSSAI determined that the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, do not allow for a "100%" claim. Such claims are considered misleading, especially when water is the main ingredient and the primary ingredient is only present in small amounts. The term "reconstituted" must be clearly stated next to the juice's name in the ingredient list if it is made from concentrate. Furthermore, the regulator stated that if added nutritive sweeteners are more than 15 gm/kg, the product should be labeled as "Sweetened juice."

Image source: Wikipedia Mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree Mangifera indica .  It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. India produces nearly 50% of the world’s mangoes , more than the next 9 countries combined. It is the second largest fruit crop after the banana.    Exports however are miniscule. The total export volume was less than 0.5% of production in 2024-25 Within India, just two states, Uttar Pradesh & Andhra Pradesh, account for almost half of the nation's mango bounty. The famous Dasheri mango comes from Malihabad in Uttar Pradesh. Cultivars (human‑selected and maintained type) such as the Banaganapalle from AP and Alphonso and Kesar from the west have a pan-India market.  Worldwide, there are several hundred cultivars of mango. Depending on the cultivar, mango fruit varies in size, shape, sweetness, skin color, and flesh color, which may be pale yellow, gold, green...

Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are 'macronutrients,' which are needed in large amounts.  Vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients constitute the 'micronutrients' and are required in smaller amounts.  Both macro and micronutrients are necessary for physiological and biochemical processes by which the human body acquires, assimilates and utilizes food to maintain health and activity. Chart below shows the  average values of micronutrients (Vitamins) in various food groups (per 100g raw weight) . The data is from Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 & Nutritive Values of Indian Foods and as listed in  Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 The unit μg (microgram) and mg (milligram) are both units of mass in the metric system. Their relationship is based on a difference of scale: 1 milligram (mg) is equal to 1000 micrograms (μg). Except for the values of Vitamin C which are shown in milligrams (mg), the  values for the others are in micrograms (μg) The...

Inflation, an essential indicator of economic health, measures changes in general price levels and the cost of living. India uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for this purpose. CPI is calculated using the price data of 299 items which are classified into 6 main groups of varying weights. CPI is published monthly by the National Statistical Office (NSO). The Food and Beverage category makes up 45.86% of the current CPI basket. Consumer food price index (CFPI) reflects inflation in prices of foods. Consumer Food Price Index has been higher than Consumer Price Index in 2024.  Chart source - Times of India Vegetables hold a 6.04% weight in the CPI basket, yet their contribution to inflation reached 30% in early 2024. Source: ICRA Among vegetables, tomato, onion, and potato (TOP) collectively hold a 2.2% weight. The inflation rates for these three commodities have been volatile, ranging from -36.6% to 132.0%. This volatility underlines the need for targeted policy interventions a...