CM5.{7-8,19} | CM5.{7-8,19} | Food Hygiene, Fortification and Food Labels — Summary & Reflection

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Food hygiene ensures food is safe from biological (bacteria, viruses, parasites, mycotoxins), chemical (pesticides, heavy metals, adulterants), and physical contamination. WHO's 5 Keys to Safer Food: keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly (≥70°C), keep food at safe temperatures (danger zone 5-63°C), use safe water and raw materials. FSSAI (established under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006) regulates food safety, additives, adulteration, and labelling in India. Food fortification adds nutrients to staple foods: iodised salt (mandatory, 15 ppm; 93.7% household coverage NFHS-5), vanaspati (Vitamins A + D, mandatory), PDS rice (mandatory from 2024: iron 14 mg/kg + folic acid 75 µg/kg + B12 0.1 µg/kg). FSSAI +F logo marks voluntarily fortified foods. Common adulterants: argemone oil in mustard oil (epidemic dropsy), metanil yellow in turmeric/sweets (hepatotoxic), melamine in milk (renal stones). Food labels (FSSAI mandatory): ingredient list, nutritional information per 100g and per serving, %RDA, allergen declaration, FSSAI license number. Clinical label-reading skills: identify added sugars (glucose syrup, dextrose, maltose), trans fats ('partially hydrogenated oil' in ingredient list), sodium content per full pack (multiply serving value × servings per pack).

REFLECT

Visit a supermarket or local grocery store (or use a food delivery app to browse packaged products). Select any three different packaged foods — one 'healthy'-branded product, one conventional snack, and one cereal or grain product. For each, identify: (1) presence of iodised salt or fortification (FSSAI +F logo?); (2) added sugars in the ingredient list by name; (3) sodium content per full pack; (4) any 'partially hydrogenated' ingredient. Based on this exercise, which product would you recommend for a patient with hypertension, and why? How would you communicate this recommendation in a 60-second clinical conversation?