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Ultra-processed foods, which are convenient and engineered to be addictive, are a serious health threat in India

- Shrenik Avlani

In the not-too-distant past, treating oneself to a snack meant having a samosa, aloo chaat, vada pav or jhaal muri. Admittedly, many of these dishes weren't exactly nutritious but they were all made fresh and hot, and sold within hours, if not minutes, of being made. Today, particularly in urban India, these traditional snacks are being replaced by ready-to-eat packaged foods such as bars, cookies and cereals, which are marketed as healthy, delicious and convenient. While they are convenient and delicious to the point of being addictive, they are far from healthy because of the amount of processing they undergo to achieve their taste, long shelf life and perfect shape and consistency.

These snacks are so far removed from being healthy or nutritious that several global health agencies, doctors, nutritionists and fitness experts have unanimously declared such "ultra-processed foods" as one of the biggest health risks in the world today. Along with pollution and sedentary lifestyles, ultra-processed foods have emerged as a serious threat to the health and fitness of Indians.

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