Paper Boat Chilled Rasam

Carbohydrate is a energy giving nutrient present in significant percentage in most of the food especially packaged ones. Energy from Carbohydrate is mainly due to Starch and Sugar . In fact the ideal ratio for energy giving nutrients in food suggests that carbohydrates should give about 65% of total energy available in the food. Lots of packaged foods get more than 4%-5% of their energy from sugar unless it uses sugar substitutes. Products like this one, which have low sugar not using sugar substitutes are in a minority and are preferable to the ones with higher sugar.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of the common amino acid i.e. Glutamic acid, popular for its usage as flavouring agent in Asian Cooking. 

This glutamate salt is also found naturally in various foods such as tomatoes and cheese as well as ingredients such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolysed groundnut protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate. 

Some people are sensitive to MSG having adverse effects such as headache, depression, etc. on regular consumption of this salt. Indian law requires that foods containing Added MSG list it in the ingredient panel on the packaging with the warning that it should not be consumed by infants below 12 months. However, if ingredients that have naturally occurring MSG, are added to the product then the product may not specify in regards to its presence. 

Pregnant & Lactating women & Infants should avoid Products containing MSG .

Flavour in most of the packaged food is due the flavouring substances added to it.

Flavouring Substances are added to Food products either to restore the flavour it would have lost during processing e.g. juices or to add a new desired flavour e.g. in case of biscuits, vanilla flavour may be added to otherwise tasteless food product.

You must be wondering why does a juice require natural flavouring substances to be added! The answer is that packaged juice is not made the same way as you make in your house. It goes through processing to ensure longer shelf life and in the bargain loses flavour as well some vitamin and mineral. Flavouring substances are added to not only get the flavour back but also to ensure that same flavour in all packs.

Read this blog to find more about different flavouring substances.