India’s dietary habits are at a crossroads. Our traditional processed foods — kheer, halwa, gulab jamun and samosa — symbolise centuries of culture, community, and celebration. But a surge in ultra-processed food products — prepackaged biscuits, chips, juices, cereals, sugary drinks and instant noodles — threatens to redefine our diets, pushing us towards unhealthy dietary patterns, and fuelling a public health crisis. The question is clear: should we target traditional foods or ultra-processed food products?
UPFs are a modern phenomenon with far-reaching negative health consequences. Designed for convenience and profit, these industrially-manufactured products are calorie-dense but nutrient-poor. They are usually high in sugars, sodium and saturated fats and filled with synthetic additives like artificial sweeteners, trans fats, emulsifiers, stabilisers, preservatives, colours and flavours. They disrupt the protective gut microbiome and contribute to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even certain cancers.
What makes UPFs especially dangerous is their aggressive marketing. Advertised relentlessly on television, social media, and even in schools, these products create artificial demand, displace healthier meal options, and normalise unhealthy eating patterns. Children are particularly vulnerable, as most of these ads target them with colourful packaging and clever slogans. Some UPF brands even use gud (jaggery) in their formulations to appear healthier. This is misleading. Jaggery in its natural form has nutritional value but its use in UPFs does not offset the harmful effects of sugars, synthetic additives, excessive processing, and high calorie content.
In India, UPF consumption is rising at an alarming rate of 13.7% annually, according to a study by the World Health Organization. The ministry of health and family welfare argues that the shift in dietary habits is one of the key drivers of India’s public health crisis, with 1 in 4 adults now affected by diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Traditional Indian foods, such as gulab jamun, samosa, kheer, or halwa, have been part of our culinary heritage. Made from natural ingredients like milk, flour, sugar, ghee, spices, and even jaggery, they are free from synthetic chemicals and artificial additives. Unlike UPFs, these foods are consumed occasionally and not as daily staples. Furthermore, traditional foods are produced locally and help sustain livelihoods. They are not marketed aggressively; their demand is organic. Critics who compare traditional foods to UPFs miss the point. Shifting the blame to gulab jamun and samosa diverts attention from the real problem: the unchecked growth of UPFs via their unfettered marketing.
To safeguard India’s health, we must focus our regulatory efforts on UPFs. Here’s how: regulating advertising; enforcing front-of-pack warning labels; limiting availability in schools; educating the public; launching awareness campaigns to help consumers differentiate between UPFs and traditional foods; supporting traditional food producers.
Failure to act now will have severe consequences. Rising healthcare costs, declining workforce productivity, and a population burdened with preventable diseases will undermine India’s progress.
The vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 demands urgent action. Regulating UPFs, preserving traditional foods, and educating the public are essential steps toward building a healthier, stronger India.
Arun Gupta is a paediatrician and convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest