When you grab packaged food at the store, do you check the expiry date? But what about the ingredient list? It’s time we pay more attention to labels.
Packaged food is part of our daily lives, so making informed choices is essential. The right food can impact our health and well-being.
Revant Himatsingka (@foodpharmer on Instagram) is on a mission to teach Indians how to read food labels and make healthier choices.
A former Wall Street consultant, Revant left his Rs 2 crore job to focus on health literacy. He has built a following of over 2.7 million people.
His biggest focus? Teaching children healthy habits early on. “Indians are educated but not health literate,” he says.
Growing up in 1990s Kolkata, Revant had a typical childhood filled with biscuits, packaged foods, and Bournvita — blissfully unaware of their hidden health risks, like millions of Indians.
His perspective on nutrition changed during his time in the US, where he pursued a degree in finance and management. By 2015, he earned a health coach certification.
While living in the US, Revant became interested in food labels and started noticing how companies misrepresent their products.
His viral Bournvita video in April 2023 exposed the hidden sugar in so-called ‘health’ drinks.
The impact? Bournvita reduced its sugar content by 14.4%, and e-commerce platforms removed it from the ‘health drinks’ category.
Revant also revealed that ‘Maggi Rich Tomato Ketchup’ contains more sugar than tomatoes, prompting further scrutiny of food labels.
To educate children, Revant created a ‘sugarboard’ highlighting the sugar content in popular drinks and is working to add nutrition education into school curriculums.
Despite facing challenges — including legal fees and family concerns — he is driven by the positive impact on his followers.
“People are now questioning the need to give these so-called ‘health’ drinks to children,” he shares.
Revant also launched ‘Label Padhega India’, a movement to spread awareness. If we all start reading labels, we can push companies to improve their products.