Decoding Food Labels: How to Spot Misleading 'Natural' Claims

In modern supermarkets, almost every box and pouch has green leaves printed on the front, accompanied by bold claims like "100% Natural", "Traditional Recipe", or "Grandma's Secret".

How do you look past the marketing front and discover what is actually inside the packet?

The 3 Things to Look for on the Back Label

1. The Ingredients List (Should Have Only 1 Item!)

When buying a single-spice packet (like turmeric, chilli, or coriander), the ingredients label should list only that single spice.

• Good Label: Ingredients: 100% Pure Whole Salem Turmeric Rhizomes.
• Red Flag Label: Ingredients: Turmeric Powder, Edible Starch, INS 551 (Silicon Dioxide), Permitted Natural Color.

2. Watch Out for "INS" Numbers (E-Codes)

In India, food additives are listed as INS (International Numbering System) codes:

• INS 551 / INS 552: Anti-caking agents (synthetic silica).
• INS 100 / INS 102: Color additives (Tartrazine / synthetic yellow).
• INS 621: Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

If you see INS numbers on a spice packet, it is not 100% pure!

3. Check for Cold-Grinding & Origin Details

Look for transparent brand declarations regarding processing temperature (<35°C) and regional farm sourcing.

Ahaarika's Clean Label Guarantee

Turn around any Ahaarika packet. You will find zero INS numbers, zero artificial additives, and zero hidden starches. Just pure, honest, single-origin spices straight from nature.