According to the document, titled 'Changes in India's Food Consumption and Policy Implications', prepared by the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) for the Prime Minister, across all regions and consumption classes, "we observed a significant increase in the proportion of household expenditure on food served. and packaged processed foods.”
This increase was universal across classes, but most pronounced for the richest 20 percent of households in the country and significantly more so in urban areas.
"While food processing is a growing sector and an important job creator, this increasing consumption of processed and packaged foods will also likely affect health outcomes," the document warned.
The Indian food and beverage packaging industry is witnessing substantial growth, with the market size projected to increase from $33.73 billion in 2023 to $46.25 billion in 2028, driven by factors such as rising consumption.
According to the article, more research is needed to understand the nutritional implications of the increasing consumption of packaged processed foods and policies may be required to regulate the nutritional content of these foods and promote healthier alternatives.
The article also analyzed the relationship between nutritional intake and dietary diversity on the prevalence of anemia.
“As expected, we found that average iron intake was inversely related to the prevalence of anemia; However, we discovered a significant negative relationship between the prevalence of anemia and dietary diversity in iron sources,” he noted.
This strong inverse relationship was observed in all states/UTs.
The analysis revealed that policies aimed at reducing anemia among children and women should focus on improving iron intake and, more importantly, consider dietary diversity of iron sources.
However, the report acknowledged the limitations of excluding served and packaged processed foods from micronutrient analysis.
“An independent study on this aspect is recommended due to its possible health implications. Additional research could explore the relationship between dietary diversity and other health outcomes,” the article reads.
The paper also noted a significant decrease in cereal consumption in terms of cooked foods, by approximately 20 percent, and this would be reflected in the average daily intake of micronutrients, because cereals are an essential dietary source of many micronutrients, such as iron. and zinc.
This increase was universal across classes, but most pronounced for the richest 20 percent of households in the country and significantly more so in urban areas.
"While food processing is a growing sector and an important job creator, this increasing consumption of processed and packaged foods will also likely affect health outcomes," the document warned.
The Indian food and beverage packaging industry is witnessing substantial growth, with the market size projected to increase from $33.73 billion in 2023 to $46.25 billion in 2028, driven by factors such as rising consumption.
According to the article, more research is needed to understand the nutritional implications of the increasing consumption of packaged processed foods and policies may be required to regulate the nutritional content of these foods and promote healthier alternatives.
The article also analyzed the relationship between nutritional intake and dietary diversity on the prevalence of anemia.
“As expected, we found that average iron intake was inversely related to the prevalence of anemia; However, we discovered a significant negative relationship between the prevalence of anemia and dietary diversity in iron sources,” he noted.
This strong inverse relationship was observed in all states/UTs.
The analysis revealed that policies aimed at reducing anemia among children and women should focus on improving iron intake and, more importantly, consider dietary diversity of iron sources.
However, the report acknowledged the limitations of excluding served and packaged processed foods from micronutrient analysis.
“An independent study on this aspect is recommended due to its possible health implications. Additional research could explore the relationship between dietary diversity and other health outcomes,” the article reads.
The paper also noted a significant decrease in cereal consumption in terms of cooked foods, by approximately 20 percent, and this would be reflected in the average daily intake of micronutrients, because cereals are an essential dietary source of many micronutrients, such as iron. and zinc.
