Samosa, Jalebi and a side of perspective: Not every treat needs a warning label

India Today

3 days ago

It is true that there are only a few things more comforting, or more desi, than the joy of biting into a hot samosa with evening tea or savouring a crisp jalebi on a lazy Sunday morning. For many, these aren't just snacks. They're shared traditions, accessible indulgences, and, in many households, the only affordable treat.This was tested when reports surfaced earlier this week suggesting that our beloved street-side staples might soon carry health warning labels. The backlash was swift and visceral. It felt like more than just bureaucratic overreach, but a cultural slight.advertisementThe panic, however, was misplaced. On July 15, the Union Health Ministry clarified that it had no intention of labelling Indian snacks with red alerts. Instead, its advisory focusses on awareness, recommending the display of simple advisory boards about excessive oil and sugar consumption in canteens, cafeterias, and lobbies.
It's not about fear. It's about context.SAMOSA ISN'T THE VILLAINLet's face it: samosas are deep-fried, and jalebis are soaked in syrup. No one's claiming that these snack items are superfoods. But what's often overlooked is how simple and honest these foods really are. They're made from familiar ingredients; flour, potatoes, sugar, curd, spices and are usually cooked fresh and eaten warm.There's no long ingredient list, no chemical cocktails, no shelf life measured in months.And most importantly, they're affordable. Like Dr. Anjali Ahuja, a Delhi-based dietician, points out: 'A plate of samosa and jalebi is one of the few pleasures still within reach of the aam aadmi. While in isolation, we could label these snack items to be unhealthy, but we must also consider affordability, access, and cultural context while doing so.'According to clinical nutritionists, before we rush to vilify these treats, here's a look at the bare facts. A samosa (100g) contains 260–300 calories and 15g of fat. A jalebi (single piece) contains 50g of fat and around 150 calories.Are they calorie-dense? Yes. Are they indulgences? Absolutely. But compare that with a fast-food cheeseburger which also contains 300 calories and 13g of fat. A slice of pizza contains 290 calories and 12g of fat.The numbers don't make the samosa (or even the jalebi) an outlier. But there's a deeper difference worth noting.NOT CALORIES BUT CHEMISTRYWhat separates traditional Indian snacks from their Western fast-food counterparts isn't just calories, it is their composition. That's where the real health debate must begin. 'Samosas and jalebis are made from whole, recognisable ingredients,' says Dr. Rohan Dua, a cardiologist and public health advocate. 'They're certainly not healthy foods, but they're understandable. Your body knows how to process them.'Now consider a typical burger which contains:An ultra-processed bun filled with emulsifiers and dough conditionersA processed cheese slice (which is a choice for some), not real cheese, but a blend of stabilisers and coloursSauces that are loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and preservatives.What you're consuming isn't food, but a formulation engineered for long shelf life, consistent taste, and also for maximum consumption. "The human body has evolved to digest food, not synthetic combinations of chemicals that mimic it," explains Dr. Dua.RISK IS ON SHELFadvertisementThe takeaway is simple. It's definitely not the occasional samosa that we consume on a rainy evening but the daily dependence on processed, packaged snacks marketed as 'healthy' that deserves our scrutiny.Health biscuits, 'lite' chips, zero-sugar drinks, protein bars: these have quietly replaced home-cooked meals in many households. Yet their health claims often mask the reality of chemical additives, hidden sugars, and synthetic sweeteners.The Health Ministry's real target, packaged foods, is where the focus should remain. Labels on those products make sense as they empower consumers to read between the lines of marketing and then go ahead and make informed choices.BALANCE OVER BLAMEIf there's one thing this week's samosa-jalebi scare teaches us, it's that context matters, as does culture and, more importantly, balance.We should absolutely talk about nutrition, but let's not allow health advocacy to become blind to nuance. Not every fried or sweet thing is the enemy. Sometimes, the most dangerous foods are the ones we've stopped questioning because they wear a fake 'healthy' halo.advertisementSo yes, have that samosa, also enjoy the jalebi. Just know what you're eating, and how often. The real danger is not the treat that you savour in moderation, it's the processed product you consume every day without ever stopping to ask: what's really in this? That, frankly, is a truth that needs no red label.- Ends