Know What You Eat: FSSAI Highlights The Importance Of Understanding Food Labels

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) highlights the importance of reading and understanding food labels to help consumers make informed decisions about their daily food choices. With packaged foods becoming a regular part of modern diets, checking the information printed on packets can help people understand what they are consuming and make healthier choices. Running a campaign, #HarLabelKuchKehtaHai, the food authority body said that it is an essential step for making healthy dietary choices rather than relying solely on front-of-pack marketing.We read food labels more often than we realise, but do we know what all those details mean? From ingredients and allergens to nutritional information, understanding the label helps us look beyond the claims on the pack and make choices that count.#HarLabelKuchKehtaHai pic.twitter.com/zF1U9C0mML— FSSAI (@fssaiindia) October 22, 2026 FSSAI highlights the importance of labels on food productsThe Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has once again come up with food-related information. The statutory body emphasises that reading food labels is one of the most important things that we often miss out on and rely on front-of-pack marketing.Food labels provide essential details about a product, including its ingredients, nutritional composition, serving size, manufacturing date, expiry or use-by date, and storage instructions. Understanding these details can help consumers compare products and identify options that suit their dietary requirements.Why is reading food labels important?Sharing a video to explain the importance of a food label on X, FSSAI captioned, "We read food labels more often than we realise, but do we know what all those details mean? From ingredients and allergens to nutritional information, understanding the label helps us look beyond the claims on the pack and make choices that count."FSSAI campaign under "Har Label Kuch Kehta Hai"One of the most important sections of a food label is the ingredient list. Ingredients are generally listed in descending order of their weight, meaning the ingredient present in the largest quantity appears first. Checking this list can help consumers identify added sugars, fats, salt and other ingredients in packaged foods. Sharing the video under the campaign of Har Label Kuch Kehta Hai, the video features a packet of Corn Flakes with text written over it, "The Secret Behind Smart Food Choices begin with label Reading." The video breaks down labels, mentioning what is important to know or check before using any food product, including the Ingredients List, Nutrition Information, Allergen Information, Best Before or Use By.Understanding nutritional information and serving sizesThe nutritional information panel is equally important. It usually provides details about energy, carbohydrates, protein, total fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium content. These values help consumers understand the nutritional composition of a product and compare similar items before making a purchase.Consumers should also pay attention to serving sizes. The nutritional values displayed on a packet may correspond to a specified serving rather than the entire package. Eating more than one serving can increase the amount of calories, sugar, salt or fat consumed.Why Is FSSAI Proposing A Ban On Added Sucrose And Fructose In Food For Babies?Check dates and other detailsManufacturing and expiry or use-by dates are the most essential things that must not be avoided because they are important indicators of a product's suitability for consumption. Food labels may also carry information about vegetarian or non-vegetarian classification, as well as other declarations required under applicable food safety regulations.