Mumbai [India], September 22: LabelBlind®, India’s first food rating system today announced the launch of the India Protein Score, a report that highlights protein content in prepackaged foods and recognizes them as top protein rich prepackaged foods available in the country, to help citizens exercise their Right To Protein this Nutrition Month.
The India Protein Score has been developed in collaboration with Right To Protein, a nationwide public health awareness initiative, as one possible solution to the barriers to protein consumption outlined in The Protein Paradox study launched earlier this year.
During the study, majority mothers were unable to correctly identify protein rich foods presented to them, and instead, incorrectly believed that the basic Indian diet consisting of just roti, dal and rice is enough to meet her family’s daily protein needs.
“The India Protein Paradox study found that majority Indian households can identify only 3 out of 11 protein-rich food items shown to them. We figured this can be because consumers often struggle to comprehend the nutritional content present on the labels of the prepackaged food items due to its technicality,” says Rashida Vapiwala, founder, LabelBlind®.
“This is particularly pronounced for protein consumption in India, where protein-rich foods tend to be overlooked by consumers due lack of knowledge and understanding. So we developed the Indian Protein Score to equip Indian citizens with a tool that allows them to make better choices to meet their daily protein requirements,” she adds.
Consumers may refer to the India Protein Score to purchase protein rich prepackaged food products from commonly consumed categories like whole grains, atta, savory snacks, dairy and dairy products, soy products, ready-to-eat meals, bread, breakfast cereals and nut butters among others.
To develop the India Protein Score, LabelBlind® studied the nutrition data of over 6,100 prepackaged food & beverage products using its proprietary assessment tool, making it one of the most comprehensive studies on this subject.
Using information declared on the food labels, products were rated on their Protein content along with their Fat, Sodium, Added Sugar values on a scale of 1 to 5.This assessment by LabelBlind® is based on the nutrient labelling guidelines of FSSAI, WHO, USFDA and ICMR, of protein content of foods qualified to be ‘Source of Protein’ or ‘High in Protein’.
The Right To Protein initiative’s collaboration with LabelBlind® to release the India Protein Score is a step forward to developing sustainable solutions to educate the consumers on the importance of protein, champion its sufficiency and trigger a long-term behavior change among citizens.