Know why is it important to check the label of the packaged food before consuming

Team Udayavani, Apr 20, 2021, 12:11 PM IST

Source: Healthline

Digestion begins in the mouth where the food is ingested and followed by a plethora of complex mechanisms. Digestion is complete when the pancreatic enzymes help the small intestine absorb the nutrients and pass the rest through as feces.

Carbs are the primary source of energy, the complex sugars are broken down to simpler sugars before being absorbed by the small intestine.

The reason why it is important to read the label at the back of the packaged food is to understand the chemicals we consume in addition to what is normally required in our diets.

As additives are chemical substances that are not categorized as food but are added purposefully with natural food to alter the taste and effect of the foodstuff to perform in a competitive market.

Additives are tested and certified safe by global bodies concerned after assessing the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), which makes them legal.

So what exactly is the ADI?

Acceptable Daily Intake or ADI is an accepted form of chemical risk or intake based on which additives are approved as safe for consumption and are identified by code numbers on product labels. Although non of the manufacturers are required to disclose the proportions of the additives used in the product, which at times makes it extremely difficult to access whether a product is safe for a child or pregnant woman.

When using fermented pastes, artificial sweeteners, salts, flavor enhancers, etc it is important to understand the labels in order to access if it is safe to ingest certain chemical compounds.

As the food and beverage industry thrives on saving cost and aims to improve the shelf life of the product, they end up using additives, preservatives, etc, which could be the reason why it is tricky to crack the code in the ingredients section on labels.

The ingredients such as additives, umami, MSG/HVP, artificial sweeteners, are a few to mention that are legal but the question, if they are healthy, is still a mystery.