How to Read a Packaged Food Label: FSSAI Mark, Ingredients and Dates

The front of a biscuit packet is an advertisement. The back is information. Words like "multigrain", "no added maida" or "baked, not fried" are chosen to sell, and while they may be true, they rarely tell you the whole story. The small print on the back is where the useful facts live, and it takes less than a minute to read once you know where to look.

Start with the FSSAI mark

Packaged food sold in India must carry the FSSAI logo along with a licence or registration number, usually 14 digits long. This shows that the manufacturer or packer is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which sets food safety standards in the country.

The number does not mean the product is healthy. It means someone is accountable for it. If a packet has no FSSAI number at all, or a number that looks incomplete, be cautious, especially with products sold loose, online from unknown sellers, or at unusually low prices.

Look for the vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol

A green symbol inside a square outline marks vegetarian food. Non-vegetarian food carries a brown symbol. This is useful at a glance, but also check the ingredients if you avoid eggs, gelatin or particular animal products, as individual preferences vary more than one symbol can show.

Read the ingredient list from the top

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. Whatever appears first is what the product contains most of. A "whole wheat" snack whose first ingredient is refined wheat flour is mostly refined flour, whatever the front says.

Sugar hides under many names, and a product can list several of them so that none appears near the top on its own:

• Sugar, invert sugar, glucose, dextrose, fructose, maltose
• Liquid glucose, corn syrup, malt extract
• Jaggery, honey or fruit juice concentrate, which are still sugars

Salt can appear as sodium, salt, or through ingredients such as monosodium glutamate and baking soda. Fats may be listed as vegetable oil, palm oil, hydrogenated vegetable fat or interesterified fat.

Additives are usually shown by their function and name or an international number, for example "emulsifier" or "colour" followed by a code. Approved additives are permitted within limits. If you or a child react to certain colours or preservatives, this is the line to check.

Understand the nutrition panel

The nutrition information table usually shows values per 100 grams (or 100 ml) and often per serving as well. Per 100 grams is best for comparing two products side by side. Per serving tells you what you actually eat, but check what the company calls a serving: it may be three biscuits when most people eat eight.

• Energy, in kilocalories.
• Protein, carbohydrate and, within that, total sugars and sometimes added sugars.
• Total fat, with saturated fat and trans fat.
• Sodium, which is the part of salt that matters for blood pressure.

Some labels also show what percentage of a day's recommended intake one serving provides. It is a rough guide based on an average adult, not a personal target.

A simple habit is to compare two similar products on sugar, sodium and saturated fat per 100 grams, and pick the lower one when the price and taste are similar.

Allergens and warnings

Common allergens such as milk, nuts, wheat (gluten), soy and shellfish should be declared. Many packets also say "may contain traces of" a particular item, which means the product was made in a facility that also handles it. For someone with a serious allergy, that line matters as much as the ingredient list.

Look too for statements such as "not recommended for infants" or advice for pregnant women, which some products are required to carry.

Dates: best before and use by

There are usually two dates to notice: the date of manufacture or packing, and a "best before" or "use by" date.

• Best before means the product is at its best quality until that date if stored as directed. After it, the taste or texture may decline.
• Use by or expiry is about safety, and applies mostly to perishable foods such as milk products and some ready-to-eat items. Do not eat these after the date.

Storage instructions change the picture. A jar that says "refrigerate after opening and use within seven days" should be followed, whatever the printed date. If a packet is swollen, leaking or smells wrong, throw it away regardless of the date.

The rest of the small print

The label should also carry the net quantity, the maximum retail price inclusive of taxes, the name and address of the manufacturer or packer, a batch or lot number, and customer care details. Keep the packet if you have a complaint; the batch number helps the company trace the problem.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if an FSSAI number is genuine?

FSSAI provides an online facility on its official website to look up food business licence and registration details. Enter the number from the packet and see whether the business name matches.

Is "sugar-free" the same as having no sweetness?

No. Sugar-free products are often sweetened with other sweeteners and may still contain plenty of calories from fat or refined flour. Read the nutrition panel rather than the claim.

Where can I complain about unsafe packaged food?

Start with the company's customer care number on the pack. You can also raise a complaint through FSSAI's official consumer grievance channels, and report the problem to your state food safety department.

Make it a supermarket habit

You do not need to study every packet. Pick the two or three products your family buys most often, read their labels once properly and compare them with one alternative. That small effort shapes hundreds of meals. If anyone at home has diabetes, high blood pressure or allergies, a doctor or dietitian can tell you which numbers on the label deserve the closest attention.