How to Read Food Labels in India in 60 Seconds

1. Find the basis: per 100 g or per serving

Indian labels usually show nutrition per 100 g (or 100 ml), and often per serving too. A protein bar that says “20 g protein” may mean per 100 g, while one bar weighs 35 g, so you actually get about 7 g.

Always multiply: value per 100 g × (your portion ÷ 100).

💡 Compare products per 100 g; judge your own intake per serving.

2. Read the first three ingredients

Ingredients are listed from most to least by weight. If sugar, refined wheat flour (maida) or palm oil appears in the first three, that is what you are mostly eating.

3. Check sugar, salt (sodium) and saturated fat

• Sugar: above roughly 10 g per 100 g is a lot for an everyday snack.
• Sodium: salty snacks and instant noodles often carry several hundred mg per 100 g. Salt ≈ sodium × 2.5.
• Saturated fat: high in products fried in palm oil or made with vanaspati.

4. Decode the claims

• “No added sugar” means none was added, not that the food has no sugar (fruit and milk sugars still count).
• “Multigrain” only means more than one grain; it may still be mostly maida.
• “Baked, not fried” can still be high in fat and salt.
• “Natural” has no strict nutritional meaning.

5. Look at the symbol and dates

The green (vegetarian) or brown (non-vegetarian) mark, the FSSAI licence number, and the best-before date are mandatory. Allergen statements help, but if you have a serious allergy, read the full ingredient list every time.

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