DNA Exclusive: Analysis Of How Packaged Junk Food Firms Are Ruining Your Health

In today's DNA, Zee News analyses the reason behind the rising demand of packaged junk food despite the health risks associated with eating them.

New Delhi: As the name suggests, junk means garbage and food means nourishment. So, junk food means garbage nourishment. It doesn't matter how attractive and appealing the packaging is. But have you ever wondered how packaged junk food companies weave such a web of deception with their enticing and misleading marketing that children easily fall prey to it? And they turn their bodies into junk food dumpsters. A think tank working on nutrition, Nutrition Advocacy for Public Interest or NAPi, has exposed the lies of junk food companies.

NAPi, in collaboration with Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, took samples of 43 packaged food products available in India. These pre-packaged junk foods included juice, cookies, chocolate, health drinks, chips, ice cream, instant noodles and pizza, among all kinds of junk food. Lab tests were done to check the amount of sugar, total fat and sodium in these products. The results are revealed in a 116-page report titled The Junk Push.

Out of 43 products, 8 had high levels of sugar, total fat and sodium, all three. 31 out of 43 items had excess sugar. 29 had high total fat. And 19 items had excess sodium. That means almost all junk food products available in the market have failed the health test. But despite this, the demand and supply of these products are increasing rapidly. What is the reason behind this? This DNA analysis which answers this question should definitely be watched by junk food lovers,