New Delhi, March 9 -- A bag of chips here, a jam roll there or a small bar of dark chocolate because you craved something sweet- isn't that what break-time or at-desk snacks invariably consists of for most of us these days? According to a WHO-led 2023 study, retail sales of ultra-processed foods in India had declined from 12.65 per cent in 2019 to 5.5 per cent in 2020. However, in 2021, it increased by 11.79 per cent. The factor in play here was the covid-19 pandemic. So, while the beginning of the pandemic saw people opting for convenience and comfort, during peak pandemic, they were opting for more home-cooked meals. And then, as the pandemic ended, everyone once again began choosing processed foods to save time.

Eating processed foods...