Nagpur will be among the first Indian cities to display warnings on junk food like samosas, jalebis, and pakoras like tobacco display labels to remind the consumer that they are consuming unhealthy items and can cause health issues. The warning boards will be displayed in government canteens and restaurants.
Sellers of food and snacks will also have to show details of oil and sugar content. They have to highlight that the sugar and oil found in these items are as risky as tobacco products. Maharashtra Health Ministry, led by Prakash Abitkar, has asked all government-run institutions, including AIIMS-Nagpur, to display warning boards that will alert citizens about health issues.
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Cafeterias and public areas of AIIMS-Nagpur will soon display these oily and sugary food warnings. The president of the Cardiological Society of India’s Nagpur chapter, Amar Aamle, said, "Samosa and jalebi are symbolic examples, any deep-fried or sugar-laden food can be harmful if consumed in excess. They contribute to obesity, which can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, brain stroke, kidney failure, and even cancer. This initiative is a positive step toward preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs)."
"Definitely, there will be a difference after this initiative. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also health conscious, and on the grassroots level, we are also taking this initiative," Aamle told the news agency IANS. He said there will be a label that shows how much sugar is in 100 grams of jalebi or how much oil is in one samosa. After that, we will decide how much we should eat and how many times we should eat.
"Excessive Sugar in our body harm human begins. A man should have 35 grams of sugar in his body and a female's body should contain 25 grams of sugar. In 100 ml of cooldrink there is 100 grams of sugar and one bottle of 250 ml we drink at a time easily so we are indirectly consuming 250 grams of sugar through cooldrinks," Aamle said further.