Which Marie Is Yours?

Asking because there are more Marie brands than you would guess, being made by some of the largest FMCG companies in the country. Its popularity is beyond doubt and there is a whole Marie market out there. We shortlisted nine brands of Marie to study the sugar- and energy-related information given on their labels. Since nutrition labels are not always easy or simple enough to interpret, or standardised for enabling comparison among brands in a specific category, we have here put together the essential details on the basis of which we as consumers can make informed and healthy choices. We have also rated the sugar and fat quantities as per traffic light colours – after all, it is important that we know how low is the sugar and how much is the fat.

Nutritional labelling of packaged food products refers to the disclosure of the main nutrients, such as energy, fat, protein, carbohydrate, sugar and salt content, on the label. As per India’s Food Safety and Standards (Packaging & Labelling) Regulations, 2011, mandatory nutritional information or nutritional facts per 100 grams or 100 millilitres or per serving of the product shall be given on the label. Such information shall contain the following: a) energy value in kilocalories (kcal) b) the amounts of protein, carbohydrate (specify quantity of sugar) and fat in gram (g) or ml c) the amount of any other nutrient for which a nutrition or health claim is made

Note that there is no requirement for salt or sodium declaration. This is despite the recommendation of Codex Alimentarius Commission – a joint intergovernmental body of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) with over 185 member states – for declaring saturated fat and sodium or salt.