Narendra Singh Tomar has issued a call for food safety on the occasion of World Food Safety Day. Tomar, the Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Food Processing Industries in the Union Cabinet, highlighted that “the current global pandemic has drawn our attention to issues related to food security such as sanitation, antimicrobial resistance, climate […]
diet
Starvation continues to ravage India
India is a country of contrasts. One such contrast is the fact that it is one of the world’s largest food producers – and home to one quarter of the world’s peoples afflicted by starvation. This scenario is rooted in inequality. According to the World Food Programme, “in the last two decades, per capita income […]
Trans fats in Government’s crosshairs
The Union Government has trans fats in its sights, as reports indicate the Narendra Modi administration intends to outline regulations this month. Per a report published by The Print, “to reduce incidence of heart ailments, the Narendra Modi government is likely to roll out regulations for limiting trans fatty acids (TFA) or trans fats in […]
Can diet remedy India’s health woes?
Diet plays a major role in the health of a nation. In India, considerable rates of malnutrition – both in terms of undernourishment and unhealthy diets leading to overweight and obesity – affect children well into adulthood. Could a focus on diet by the centre be India’s remedy to its numerous health issues? “The right […]
Junk food in schools off the menu
Soon, junk food will no longer be sold in schools. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has moved to prohibit the sale of junk food in school canteens against the backdrop of a growing crisis of childhood obesity in the country. By 2030, India is expected to be home to 27 million […]
Eat Right India: Government push for a more nutritious society
A major campaign to improve nutrition in India has been launched, as the Centre tells the country it’s high time to start eating right with the launch of the Eat Right India movement. “The ‘Green Good Deeds’, a campaign to protect [the] environment and promote healthy living, has found global acceptance, and the ‘Eat Right […]
The health crisis in India’s food
Food and drink sold in India is among the unhealthiest in the world, research suggests. Could this add to the already substantial crisis of obesity and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)? The research, published in the journal Obesity Reviews, looked at twelve countries – Australia, Canada, Chile, China, India, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa, […]
Turn away from trans fats, but don’t look to palm oil
The steps taken by the World Health Organization (Who) to eliminate trans fats from our global food supply are important. However, a key piece of the conversation is missing. What are the alternatives? Trans fats are bad for our health: the WHO reminded us this week that five billion people worldwide are exposed to the […]
Too much salt is an enemy you need to control and defeat
First, it is important to understand the dangers associated with too much salt and to what extent we are exposed to the risks. A recent study conducted by the George Institute of Global Health, India concludes that “salt intake in India is double [the] WHO prescribed limit of 5gm per day.” Indians consume 9.08 gm […]
Why your eating habits matter for your health
In 2017, one in every five deaths globally was due to poor eating habits according to a recent report published in The Lancet. “This study affirms that poor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world,” author Dr Christopher Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation […]