IndiGo's Upma contains 83% more sodium than Maggi, claims influencer; airline responds

Social media influencer Revant Himatsingka, popularly known as Food Pharmer, has levelled serious claims about certain pre-packaged meals served by IndiGo airlines on flights.

In a video recorded inside the flight, the health influencer alleged that "Indigo's Magic Upma has 50% more sodium than Maggi". He added that even the in-flight poha and daal-chawal served by the airline have more sodium than the instant noodles.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Himatsingka wrote: "Most of us already know that Maggi is a high sodium food! What most of don't know is that Indigo's Magic Upma has 50% more sodium than Maggi, Indigo's Poha has ~83% more sodium than Maggi, and Daal Chawal has as much sodium as Maggi. Just because "Upma", "Poha", "Daal chawal" sound healthy, does not mean they are healthy. Always remember junk food pretending to be healthy, is even more dangerous than junk food. Indian's already consume too much sodium and consuming excess sodium on a regular basis raises our blood pressure and can result in hypertension, heart issues and kidney issues."

Responding to Himatsingka's claim, IndiGo airlines said: "IndiGo serves fresh and pre-packaged food only from the most reputed vendors. All food served on board IndiGo flights carries details on ingredients and nutritional information as per FSSAI norms. Passengers have the choice of choosing from freshly prepared pre-booked meals or purchase pre-packaged food products on board. The preparation of some pre-packaged products is done as per traditional Indian recipes and the salt content is well within prescribed norms."

"The information printed on the package acts as an advisory for passengers to estimate their nutritional intake and consume as per their discretion. We welcome all feedback to improve our services in our mission to provide an affordable, on-time and hassle-free flying experience for our customers," IndiGo added.

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, human bodies need a small amount of sodium to work properly. Too much sodium is bad for your health. Eating too much sodium can increase your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease and stroke.

In 2015, Maggi instant noodles, Nestle's biggest brand, was taken off the shelves by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over allegations that it contained lead beyond permissible limits and for mislabelling of flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate.

Before this, Himatsingka's video on Cadbury's Bournvita went viral in April 2023. He said the company should consider changing the tagline from 'taiyari jeet ki' to 'taiyari diabetes ki'.

Following which, the company sent a legal notice to Himatsingka and issued a statement addressing the controversy. The company asserted that each serving of Bournvita contains '7.5 grams of added sugar,' which is 'much less than the daily recommended intake limits of sugar for children'. However, on December 23, the influencer took to Instagram to share that the company has reduced added sugar by 15 percent and called it a 'big win'.

"Big win! Probably the first time in history that an Instagram reel led to a food giant reducing its sugar content! 1 video resulted in a 15% reduction in sugar. Imagine if all Indians started reading food labels. Companies wouldn't dare falsely market themselves," Himatsingka wrote later.

Last week, the Centre directed all the e-commerce companies to remove drinks and beverages, including Bournvita, from the health drinks category from their portals.

"National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a statutory body constituted under section (3) of the Commission of Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act 2005 after its inquiry under Section 14 of CRPC Act 2005 concluded that there is no 'health drink' defined under FSS Act 2006, rules and regulations submitted by FSSAI and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd," the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in an advisory to all e-commerce companies.

The order is dated April 10, 2024.

It said that all e-commerce companies or portals are advised to remove drinks and beverages, including Bournvita, from the category of health drinks from their platforms or sites.

On April 2, food safety standards regulator FSSAI directed all e-commerce food business operators (FBOs) to ensure appropriate categorisation of food products being sold on their websites.