DECODING FOOD LABELS

Rusk

This humble snack has many brand names – pick yours

Rusk is a common-enough teatime accompaniment in India—it is perhaps as popular as the biscuit itself. Come to think of it, a rusk is really a rectangular, hard, dry biscuit prepared by double-baking bread. The word ‘rusk' is derived from rosca, which is Portuguese for ‘a twisted, coiled roll of bread'. It was originally discovered to preserve bread during the dry weather. While the shelf life of bread used to be just a few days, rusk could last for a few months. Today the market for branded rusk is growing, though unbranded players and local bakeries still dominate the segment. For our report, we shortlisted eight brands of rusk and two of milk rusk to study and compare the information given on their labels. This humble snack, regarded as a relatively healthy option, is expected to be a source of protein and energy. Alongside, we have rated the sugar and fat quantities as per traffic light colours to enable consumers to make an informed choice.