Samosas with cigarette-style warnings? Yes, that’s actually happening. Kind of. According to latest news reports, the health ministry has issued an advisory to display boards in various workplaces and cafeterias to raise awareness on the risks of hidden fats and excess sugar in various food items. The most sore point of this advisory for Indians is, of course, the “attack” on samosas and jalebis.

We know samosas aren’t healthy. But they’re also not pretending to be. They’re a treat, plain and simple. What’s odd is how so many packaged foods, often worse, get a free pass. No warnings. No guilt. Just clever labels like “high protein” or “100% natural.” So, here are some harmful packaged food items that probably deserve strict warning labels.

1. Breakfast cereals

Most cereals, even the ones that say multigrain or fortified with vitamins, are packed with sugar and artificial flavouring. That chocolatey, crunchy mix you pour into your bowl is often closer to dessert than breakfast.

2. Bottled fruit juices

Juices come with labels like “100% real,” “no added sugar,” and “cold-pressed.” Sounds great, right? But many are stripped of fibre, full of natural sugars, and sometimes even have preservatives and flavour concentrates.

3. Protein bars

These are often sold as smart snacks for active people. But if you read the ingredients, many protein bars are full of refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, and strange chemicals no one can pronounce. They promise muscle fuel but leave you bloated and crashing.

4. Diet sodas and sugar-free drinks

Brands market these drinks as a guilt-free alternative to regular soda. But they often add artificial sweeteners, which researchers have linked to bloating, cravings, and digestive issues. Some sweeteners may even mess with your blood sugar over time leading to diabetes.

5. Frozen snacks

They sit in your freezer, looking like saviours on lazy nights. But brands usually pre-fry, salt, and load these freezer staples with additives to keep them crispy. They look like a quick fix but are actually ultra-processed and packed with preservatives. These are one of the most harmful packaged food items.

6. Flavoured peanut butter

Brands often market flavoured peanut butter as protein-rich and perfect for gym-goers, but they load many of them with sugar, salt, and hydrogenated oils. Add chocolate swirl or honey roast, and it’s basically dessert.

7. Vegetable chips and healthy namkeen

These snacks come in soft beige packaging with calming fonts and labels like “guilt-free” or “baked, not fried.” But they often contain added flavours, sugar, and preservatives. And the salt content alone can match that of your regular wafers.

8. Microwave popcorn

That buttery, salty bag you pop for a quick snack? Often lined with chemicals like PFAS and packed with artificial flavourings and trans fats. But there’s no label to scare you off, just the comforting sound of popping corn.

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