New Delhi: Life has changed 360 degrees for teenagers, young adults and even people in their 30s, 40s and 50s since the advent of quick-commerce platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, etc.
They just have to instal a mobile application in their phones to order groceries, food items and essentials, which are delivered at home in a matter of minutes.
Students and young professionals living away from their homes are often seen tapping their phones to order items such as fizzy drinks, chocolates, instant noodles, packaged snacks and ready-to-eat meals.
It’s the utter convenience which attracts them to these apps, as they don’t have to go to shops or markets to acquire their products whenever they have an urge or craving for a particular food or other item.
And that’s a major concern for the country as India’s youth is getting more and more addicted to easily available ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are no longer occasional treats.
It’s a sure recipe for a health disaster as researchers have warned that UPFs are low in fibre, poor in micronutrients and loaded with sugar, salt and fat.
According to scientific evidence, UPFs are quietly shaping India’s health landscape.
A recent survey by LocalCircles identified at least one in two items listed on quick commerce platforms in India to be junk food or high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) or ultra-processed foods.
The survey found 62% of foods listed on Blinkit, 58% on Zepto and 54% on Swiggy Instamart to be ultra-processed items.
These foods are becoming daily staples for millions of young people, mostly in urban areas and are even reaching rural centres. This is leading a surge in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses in India.
Of the 24,000-plus responses from parents across 277 districts, 39% reported that their children regularly order ultra-processed foods on quick-commerce apps.
Soft drinks, biscuits, chips, instant noodles, chocolates and ice creams form the bulk of these orders.
According to parents, the convenience of online platforms, where almost half of all packaged foods listed are UPFs, makes resisting temptation difficult.
What’s the way out
The lack of transparency was highlighted as the main problem. Ninety per cent parents surveyed said a RED warning label on online listings, similar to those advocated for front-of-pack labels in stores, will help young users make healthier choices.
Asked by India Today about the dominance of ultra-processed foods on their platforms, Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart didn’t want to respond.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), India’s top medical research bodies, issued blunt dietary guidelines last year.
They warned that UPFs are low in fibre, poor in micronutrients and typically loaded with sugar, salt and fat.
The guidelines stated that high UPF consumption is strongly linked with obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, and even accelerated ageing.
According to this year’s Economic Survey, 56.4% of India’s disease burden can be traced to unhealthy diets, a large portion of which comes from junk food.
The onus is on Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), India’s food regulator, to implement warning labels on high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar (HFSS) products.
