In today’s world, ensuring that kids eat healthily can feel like an uphill battle. Packaged foods are everywhere, often with ingredient lists that seem like a foreign language. Sure, many of us try to understand labels. However, we aren’t aware of what terms like “INS 102” or “tartrazine” even mean. With childhood health concerns like obesity and lifestyle diseases on the rise, it’s more important than ever to make informed choices for our children. This is where technology steps in to help, and TruthIn is leading the charge with its innovative approach. This Children’s Day, we spoke with TruthIn’s CEO, Ravi Putrevu, who shared insights on how their app empowers parents with information.
What Is Truthin App And How Does It Work?
TruthIn works by allowing users to scan barcodes on packaged foods, instantly displaying a comprehensive breakdown of nutritional information and health risks associated with the product. “TruthIn was designed by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nutritionists, and tech engineers to help people access transparent information about the packaged food they intend to buy,” Ravi explained. “Think of it on the lines of something like the ‘IMDB of packaged food.’” Unlike regular barcode scans used for inventory or pricing, TruthIn retrieves each product’s detailed nutritional profile and assigns it a health score from 0 to 5. “The higher the score, the healthier the choice,” he added.
Navigate The Complex World Of Ingredients
We all know how difficult it can be to understand the ingredients listed on food labels, especially with terms that sound more like chemistry than food. For instance, have you ever heard of INS 102? It’s a synthetic food colour, also known as tartrazine, that’s often used to make foods look more appealing. But here’s the catch—it has no nutritional benefit and has been linked to hyperactivity in children.
Putrevu shares, “This is the kind of hidden risk that TruthIn helps parents spot. Many packaged foods contain synthetic additives that can have negative effects, especially on children.” As parents, we might assume that something like a flavoured yoghurt is healthy for our children, but TruthIn can help uncover the hidden sugars and artificial colours that make them less than ideal.
One of the biggest concerns parents face today is ensuring their children have healthy snacks. This challenge becomes even more daunting when popular snacks, like Chicken Nuggets, turn out to be less healthy than expected. Ravi shares, “Take the ITC Master Chef Crunchy Chicken Nuggets, for example. Many parents assume they’re a great source of protein, but they only contain 13.3 grams of protein per 100 grams, while having more fat and carbs, which could contribute to unhealthy weight gain if consumed regularly.”
This insight into processed snacks like chicken nuggets is just one example of how TruthIn helps parents make more informed decisions. By highlighting health issues like too much fat and inferior fillers, its rating system encourages you to make better choices.
Combatting Lifestyle Diseases
With the rise in lifestyle diseases like obesity and diabetes among children, particularly in India, it’s more important than ever to equip parents with the knowledge to make healthier choices. Ravi highlights a concerning trend: “1 in 10 obese children globally will be from India, according to the WHO.”
TruthIn offers a solution by guiding parents toward healthier products and helping them reduce the consumption of harmful ingredients such as sugars and unhealthy fats. The app even provides a Personalised Dietary Allowance (PDA) for users based on their health goals, particularly for managing conditions like diabetes or hypertension.
A product that many parents might think is a safe, healthy option but actually contains hidden risks is flavoured yoghurt. Many popular brands, like Milky Mist, market their fruit-flavoured yoghurts as healthy, but they contain high amounts of added sugars and synthetic colours. Ravi warns, “The Milky Mist Blueberry Flavour contains synthetic colours like INS 122 and INS 133, along with 9.1g of added sugar per serving. In fact, their fruit yoghurt range has more sugar than a regular Coke!”
Studies have shown links between artificial colours like INS 102 and hyperactivity in children, especially those with ADHD. Ravi highlights, “These artificial colours are banned in several countries, including Austria and France, because of their harmful effects on children’s health.”
Also Read: Is It Safe To Consume Pork In Northeast India? Here’s What You Need To Know
Long-Term Health Benefits To Look Forward To
The key to combating lifestyle diseases and ensuring long-term health benefits for everyone lies in consistently making informed food choices. Ravi believes that the consistent use of the TruthIn app can significantly reduce the risk of childhood obesity and other health issues. By scanning products and gaining deeper insights into their nutritional content, you can avoid harmful ingredients and make smarter, healthier choices.
Looking beyond individual choices, Ravi is optimistic about TruthIn’s potential to contribute to broader food system changes. He states, “Many food manufacturers exploit loopholes in labelling guidelines, making misleading claims. TruthIn can help raise awareness and hold them accountable.” He cites a case where Nestlé was called out for adding more sugar to their Cerelac product in India, a move that led the company to promise changes.
For people with food sensitivities, such as gluten or lactose intolerance, TruthIn offers valuable support. With filters for dairy-free, gluten-free, and lactose-free products, TruthIn makes it easier for parents to find suitable alternatives.
By providing transparent, easy-to-understand nutritional information, the Truthin app empowers you to make better, healthier food choices.
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