Ahana, a 16-year-old girl from Amroha, did not like home-cooked food; Packaged food from the market, or rather junk food, was his first choice. Although everyone eats a little junk food sometimes, but Ahana had crossed the limits. According to his family, he had started eating junk food every day. One day she fell ill, was admitted to the hospital, and was diagnosed with a hole in her intestines. Now Ahana is no longer with us, and the cause of her death is being said to be junk food.
What is junk food?
In simple words, junk food is food that contains little or no vitamins, minerals and fiber. However, this junk food is very high in calories. It is also said that food which gets cooked quickly comes in the category of junk food. Often only pizza and burgers are considered junk food, but it is not so. All fried foods, overly sweet sweets, and deep-fried dishes also fall into the category of junk food. This means that India’s most popular snacks – samosas, jalebis and kachoris – are also a kind of junk food.
How big is the junk food market?
The market for junk food, or ultra-processed food, has grown rapidly in India. According to a report by ICRIER, the market for junk food or ultra-processed food in India was worth ₹7,996 crore in 2006. A report by Lancet suggests that by 2019 this market had reached ₹3.3 lakh crore. If we look at Euromonitor data, the picture becomes even clearer. In fact, the junk food market has been growing at a steady rate of 10 percent since 2019. By 2029 this figure may reach ₹3.98 lakh crore. The Global Food Policy Report 2024 also throws light on this issue and easily explains the spending patterns of people. According to the report, processed food accounted for 6.5 percent of people’s household food budget. This figure was for 2015, and in 2019 it increased to 12 percent. In other words, Rs 61,900 crore was spent on junk food in 2015, and in 2019 this figure increased to Rs 82,000 crore. Market trends now show that the junk food sector is experiencing a continuous growth of 10 percent since 2019.
Other reports show that from 2011 to 2021, the ultra-processed food market was dominated by chocolates and sweets, followed by ready-made foods in second place and beverages in third place, including soft drinks and other high-sugar drinks. Apart from this, the consumption of salty snacks has also increased rapidly in India.
How many people eat junk food in India?
There are varying reports and claims about the number of people eating junk food in India. However, it can definitely be said that the consumption of junk food has increased significantly in India. According to the Global Food Policy Report 2024, 38 percent of the population ate junk food in 2024, which means one out of every four people ate junk food. Similarly, a UNICEF report for 2025 also shows a worrying trend. This report shows that this year 93 percent of children in India ate packaged or processed food.
Are e-commerce platforms fueling this trend?
The same report also states that 68 percent of children drank packaged drinks at least once a week. Of these, 53 percent children drank such sweet drinks daily. Data on online food ordering also shows that people are now ordering junk food in large quantities. LocalCircles conducted a major survey this year, which revealed that 50 percent of the items available on e-commerce platforms fall in the HFSS category. These food items contain high amounts of fat, sugar and salt.
What about other countries?
If we talk about the whole world, America’s situation is the worst in this matter. A 2023 report by CEOWORLD Magazine ranked several countries based on their junk food consumption. The countries with the highest consumption are at the top, and the countries with the least consumption are at the bottom. In this report, America has been described as a “fast food crazy” country. The UK is at second place, followed by France at third, Sweden at fourth and Austria at fifth. India is at number 13 in this report. Germany eats the least junk food.