We were designing our packaging a few months ago, and someone suggested we put "NO PRESERVATIVES" on the front in large letters.
It's true. We don't use any. But the more I looked at the phrase, the less I liked it — not because it's false, but because of how little it actually rules out.
"Preservative" is a technical category under Indian food law, not a general word for "additive." It covers a specific list — sorbates, benzoates, sulphites, and a few others. A product can legitimately carry a "no preservatives" claim while containing antioxidants, emulsifiers, anti-caking agents, acidity regulators, artificial flavours, refined oils, added sugars under several different names, and maltodextrin. None of those are preservatives. All of them are things you might want to know about.
That's not a loophole anyone is exploiting illegally. It's just a claim that sounds much broader than it is.
HOW TO ACTUALLY READ AN INDIAN FOOD LABEL
FSSAI's labelling rules are stricter than most people realise, and once you know the format, the ingredient panel becomes very readable.
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight at the time of manufacture. If sugar is third, there's more sugar than everything after it combined. Watch for the same ingredient appearing under several names — sugar, invert syrup, glucose solids, maltodextrin — which individually rank lower but collectively might be near the top.
Additives must be declared by functional class plus INS number — so you'll see "Preservative (INS 202)" or "Emulsifier (INS 471)" rather than a brand name. This is the part most people skip, and it's the most informative line on the pack. If you see a three-digit number in brackets, that's an additive, and the word before it tells you what it does.
Flavouring must be declared as natural, nature-identical, or artificial. "Nature-identical" is worth understanding: it means the molecule is chemically the same as one found in nature but was made in a lab. Legal, common, and not the same thing as "natural."
Allergens must be highlighted within the ingredient list and repeated in a separate statement. For anything containing nuts, peanuts, soy or gluten-bearing cereals, this is the line that matters most.
And there's a rule worth knowing: a product cannot claim "no preservatives" if it contains INS 202 or INS 211. Nor can it call itself "natural" while using artificial flavours. These are enforceable, and they're among the most common labelling violations.
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN OUR CATEGORY SPECIFICALLY
Nuts, seeds and dried fruit are simple products. But a few things routinely show up in packaged versions:
Sulphur dioxide and metabisulphites in dried fruit. Sulphuring is a standard, permitted technique for preserving the colour of dried fruit and extending its shelf life. It's the reason supermarket apricots are bright orange rather than brown. It's legal and disclosed. But it's the single most common additive in a category people assume is additive-free, and if a trail mix contains dried fruit, it's worth checking.
Antioxidants in roasting oils. Fats go rancid, and antioxidants slow that down. Again — permitted, disclosed, and the reason a lot of fried and roasted snacks have long shelf lives.
Anti-caking agents in seasoned products. If a powder needs to flow through a machine, something usually helps it flow.
Refined oils. "Roasted" doesn't tell you what it was roasted in. Palm oil is cheap, stable, and extremely common.
None of this is a scandal. These are legal ingredients, used within limits, in products that are safe to eat. My point is narrower and I think more useful: "no preservatives" tells you almost nothing about any of them.
WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO
We took "no preservatives" off the front panel and replaced it with the full ingredient list.
Not a summary. Not "100% natural ingredients." The actual list, in the actual order, on the front of the pack where you'd normally find a claim.
It's a worse marketing line and a better one at the same time. It's worse because "NO PRESERVATIVES" in bold caps is a stronger visual hook than eleven words of small type. It's better because it can't be misread. If we've put something in that you'd rather avoid, you'll see it before you buy, not after.
This has consequences we've had to accept. It constrains what we can formulate — you can't put something in quietly if it's going on the front. It makes our packs look busier than a competitor's. And it means we can't use the shortcuts that would make our products cheaper or last longer.
I think that's the right trade. A brand that tells you what's in the pack doesn't need to tell you what isn't.
THE ONE THING I'D ASK YOU TO DO
Next time you pick up any healthy snack — ours or anyone else's — turn it over and read the ingredient panel before you read the front. Count the ingredients. Look for numbers in brackets. Check whether sugar appears more than once under different names.
You'll be surprised how often the front and the back tell different stories. And you'll get much better at buying food in about thirty seconds of practice.
Devyani, Founder, EarthToYou
