Everyone is shaking protein shakes these days, and not without cause. Some 88% of Indians, according to ICMR, have not been consuming sufficient proteins. No surprise there, with diets in many parts being vegetarian-centric. Suddenly, everyone from the neighbourhood juicewala and your personal trainer at the gym to the barista is peddling 'proteins'. There's a huge market out there looking to get their protein fix. Which also makes for a rich ecosystem for 'protein-washing', selling F&B with the protein tag regardless of its veracity.

From the new advocacy of red meat to protein powders, physicians and healthcare specialists find most of them to be, at best, placebos, at worst, harmful. Welcome to the world of 'healthy junk food'. India's upscale grocery stories are now awash in ultra-processed foods marketed as 'high protein' to appeal to health-conscious consumers. Somehow, 'high protein content' seems to be enough to distract many from additives, sodium and unhealthy fats in these products.

India may be a new hunting ground for protein-washing, but 'protein-ing' is also a genuine, bona fide marketing bonanza. Regulators need to make consumers protein-literate. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) needs to be proactive. High-fat, high-sugar snacks cannot be passed off as 'high protein' foods. Better labelling of protein content and source, mandatory testing and random audits for quality of protein has to be put in place. There should be more rigorous testing for existing, or similar, products released into the market as 'protein rich'. Mislabelling should attract harsh punishment. Protein deficiency is a real health issue. So, we need to be doubly careful of what we ingest in the name of protein.