IndiGo upma contains 50% more sodium than Maggi? Airline responds to viral video

Influencer Revant Himatsingka, popularly known as Food Pharmer, is known for reviewing the contents of packaged food products. He went viral in April 2023 after reviewing the sugar content in Cadbury’s Bournvita, thereby forcing the company to reduce added sugar. The influencer is at it again. He has now reviewed the food served on IndiGo. Himatsingka said that although upma, poha and dal chawal served on the flight “sound healthy”, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are “healthy”. His review sparked a discussion on social media and prompted the airline to respond.
“Most of us already know that Maggi is a high-sodium food! What most don’t know is that Indigo’s Magic Upma has 50% more sodium than Maggi, Indigo’s Poha has ~83% more sodium than Maggi, and Daal Chawal has as much sodium as Maggi,” wrote Himatsingka while sharing a video on X.
He added that “junk food pretending to be healthy is even more dangerous than junk food”.
The influencer further shared, “Indians already consume too much sodium and consuming excess sodium on a regular basis raises our blood pressure and can result in hypertension, heart issues and kidney issues.”
In the video, Himatsingka said that he ordered all the ready-to-eat available on the IndiGo flight. He then reviewed them all one by one based on the sodium content available in them. He contrasted their sodium content with the amount of sodium present in Maggi. He found that the upma, poha and dal chawal served on the flight had more sodium than that of Maggi.
He suggested two options for IndiGo travellers: pack home-cooked food or buy nut case/almond box from IndiGo.
He replied to his own post and claimed, “One of the reasons why we don’t feel the taste of excess salt in airlines is because high altitudes reduce our taste bud sensitivity. This is also one of the reasons why most airlines add excess salt to our food.”
After the video gained significant traction on social media, the airline released a statement.
“IndiGo serves fresh and pre-packaged food only from the most reputed vendors. All food served on board IndiGo flights carries details on ingredients and nutritional information as per FSSAI norms. Passengers have the choice of choosing from freshly prepared pre-booked meals or purchase pre-packaged food products on board. The preparation of some pre-packaged products is done as per traditional Indian recipes and the salt content is well within prescribed norms. The information printed on the package acts as an advisory for passengers to estimate their nutritional intake and consume as per their discretion. We welcome all feedback to improve our services in our mission to provide an affordable, on-time and hassle free flying experience for our customers,” the company said.