Desi flavour: CSE report says samosa better than burger
NEWDELHI: A samosa is better than a burger because it is made using fresh ingredients and is free of additives, preservatives and flavourants, according to a new Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report released on Monday .
While a samosa may be caloriedense, it is largely made of chemical-free ingredients such as refined wheat flour, cumin, boiled potatoes, peas, salt, chilies, spices, vegetable oil or ghee.
A burger, on the other hand, has preservatives, acidity regulator, emulsifier, improver and antioxidant along with refined wheat flour, sugar, wheat gluten, edible vegetable oil, yeast, salt, soya flour, sesame seed, vegetables, mayonnaise, cheese or potato patty.
Similarly, foods such as poha that are made with natural ingredients and fresh juices that are a mix of fruit and water are also termed better than noodles and canned juices that have thickners, humectants, permitted synthetic food colours and added flavours in it . “Fresh food contains none of the chemicals present in ultra-processed food,” says the report titled Body Burden: Lifestyle Diseases.
Between September 2016 and March 2017, CSE conducted a ‘Know Your Diet’ survey of over 13,000 schoolchildren (9-17 years), primarily from 15 states.
With respect to High in Fat Salt and Sugar (HFSS) packaged food and beverages, the survey revealed high consumption of packaged HFSS food, which increases with age. “Such unhealthy processed food or junk food contain little or no proteins, vitamins or minerals, and are high in salt, sugar, fats and energy (calories) content.”
These energy-dense ultraprocessed packaged products are aggressively promoted to children and adolescents. As per the data of the 66th round of NSSO (National Sample Survey Office) and ICMR-INDIAB study of 2015, intake of salt, sugar and fat has increased from 2000 to 2010.
When there is already a large population consuming carbohydrate-dense food, the role of limiting simple sugars, especially through concentrated sources such as packaged food, becomes critical.
Also, obesity is caused by not just unhealthy diet and physical inactivity but by other contributing factors such as obesogens— chemical compounds which affect metabolism — and genetics to some extent.