After Bournvita, social media influencer ‘FoodPharmer’ raises questions on nutritional value of brown bread

Revant Himatsingka, aka the FoodPharmer, who came into the limelight after his infamous Bournvita controversy, has again raised a question mark on the nutritional value of a food product, and this time it is bread. 

He questioned whether brown and multigrain bread is indeed a healthier option as compared to white bread.

Himatsingka said that bread in India is a “big joke." 

Earlier, the social media influencer gained attention after he accused Bournvita of having high sugar content, which led to a legal notice from Cadbury.

“Bread in India is a big joke! There are two types of bread in India. One which is openly unhealthy (white bread), and the second type (brown, multigrain, wholewheat) which pretend to be healthy when they are not!” he wrote in one of his Instagram posts.

“Till a few decades ago, bread wasn’t as common in India. But now it is commonly used by Indians for breakfast sandwiches, school tiffins, and snacks! If you have 2 slices of bread a day, you have more than 700 slices in a year. Make sure you pick the right one!” the post added.

Himatsingka mentions in the video that brown bread in India is coloured using a caramel colour for making it brown instead of using whole wheat (atta). He further states that it is a similar kind of colouring used in Coca Cola and Bournvita.

One of the world's most widely used food colouring is caramel. According to NutritionFacts, the synthesis of this substance can occasionally produce the compound called methylimidazole, which was classified as a carcinogen in 2007.

In the video, Himatsingka can be seen further reminding the viewers about a specific rule by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that should play a big role in finding out how healthy a particular bread available in the market is.

The rule states, “The name of ingredients used in the product shall be listed in descending order of their composition by weight or volume, as the case may be at the time of its manufacture.”

Himatsingka shows how maida (refined wheat flour), which is listed as the first ingredient in most brown breads in India, serves as the main component and because of this, it cannot be considered as healthy.

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