If you also buy products more which you see are endorsed by celebrities. If you are also getting lost in the advertisement with no values and unhealthy ways to influence you, this piece is important for you. These days brand endorsements are done for all kinds of ‘processed foods’ which in a way is creating an appeal for ‘junk category’ foods. The celebrities acting as ‘brand ambassadors’ influence people to buy unhealthy products that they won’t use for self-consumption. Is it then correct to get influenced by these celebrities? Celebrity endorsement increases the value of foods whose primary ingredients are salt, sugar, and mostly palm oil which are the cheapest commodities.
To understand all ‘processed foods’, before buying try to always read the labels on the pack and the nutritional quality of such products. From biscuits to cakes to juices to milkshakes, everything being sold has unhealthy ingredients added that are harmful for adults as well as children. A simple example to realize this is a 200 ml mango drink which contains almost 30 gm of sugar which equals seven teaspoons of sugar. Now think what would happen if you gulped that much sugar in a go. It's crucial to understand and know the impact these products can have on your life.
Moreover, adding to this problem is rampant food adulteration in India. A few weeks back several samples from a famous masala company were found to have traces of poisonous substances. This is surely not the only company; it signals many such companies are marketing products in India having unsafe ingredients with the help of high-level brand campaigns. The citizens are exposed to substandard, unsafe food items despite “The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006” under which food safety agencies like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the State Food Safety Authorities work. These safety organizations have a shortage of safety officers and hence is the result of the mass selling of unsafe products in the Indian market. With such a prevailing scenario, Indian consumers cannot avoid food items injurious to health. If agencies cannot take hard steps against these corporate giants, then why not aware the consumer about manufacturers selling unsafe food?
Contrastingly, the products of brands that are household names in India are flagged by food regulators in foreign countries. The European Food Safety Authority report released in April this year stated that turmeric, chili, peppercorn, and dried beans from India contained ethylene oxide. This was not the first instance as there have been multiple instances of Indian products found non-compliant in these countries. Aggressive marketing techniques are growing the consumer base for several brands, but the negative outcome of these unhealthy diets is diseases like diabetes and hypertension. These days there are children commonly found having anaemia, high triglycerides, and getting overweight because of non-nutritional processed food consumption.
The surge of these diseases is due to increased consumption of packaged foods. Why do we accept such foods so easily at our homes? Are we not allowing innocent children to be impacted? We must ensure a fine balance to protect our family's health. The silence of the brands and the poor regulatory environment is the perfect combination to serve and increase the appeal of such food items. In the end, with food safety at stake, we still hold immense power by regulating ourselves and differentiating between beneficial and harmful food. A meaningful decision will always protect the health of the individual, as a packet of chips is tastier, but a bowl of fresh fruits or salad is healthier.
