FSSAI's Transparent Labeling Initiative Gains Support from Health Experts

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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently approved a proposal to display nutritional information in bold letters and larger font sizes on food packaging. This initiative aims to improve consumer safety and transparency regarding food contents ().

FSSAI's New Labeling Guidelines for Enhanced Food Transparency

Mr. Sanjaya Mariwala, Executive Chairman and Managing Director of OmniActive Health Technologies and President of the Association of Herbal and Nutraceutical Manufacturers of India, has expressed his support for this development: "Misleading ingredient information on food packets, particularly regarding sugar and fat content, remains a significant concern in India. The FSSAI's approval for a move to prominently display nutritional information is a major step towards enhancing consumer safety and food transparency."

‘The #FSSAI has approved new guidelines for bold, larger font #nutritional info on #foodlabels. This move is a huge step towards #consumersafety and transparency.’

The changes to nutritional information labeling on packaged food items were approved at the 44th meeting of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), presided over by Apurva Chandra. According to the proposed amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, food product labels must indicate the total amount of salt, sugar, and saturated fat in bold characters with larger font sizes. The public will have the opportunity to provide feedback on these draft modifications.

The revisions require that the total sugar, total saturated fat, and sodium content per serving, along with their percentage contributions to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), be highlighted in bold letters. As outlined in regulations 2(v) and 5(3) of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulation, 2020, these changes aim to help consumers make healthier choices by providing a clearer understanding of the nutritional content of the products they consume.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), non-chronic diseases account for over 60% of annual deaths, with diet being a major contributing factor. Enhancing labeling regulations is a critical part of the global effort to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Furthermore, to prevent false and misleading claims, the FSSAI has removed the term "health drink" from e-commerce websites, as it is not defined or standardized under the FSS Act 2006 or its rules and regulations.

Additionally, the FDA has instructed Food Business Operators (FBOs) to discontinue the use of terms like wheat flour and refined wheat flour and to remove any claims of 100% fruit juice from the labels and advertisements of reconstituted fruit juices.

Mr. Mariwala further suggests that FSSAI should enforce stricter regulations against misleading claims and consider implementing QR codes on products to provide easy access to detailed clinical trials.

He believes that enhancing transparency through QR codes will empower consumers with accurate information. Additionally, developing a robust testing infrastructure and fostering collaboration between industry stakeholders and the government will help curb malpractices related to ingredient disclosures.

Reference:

1. Packaging and Labelling Regulations - (https:www.fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Packaging_Labelling_Regulations.pdf)

Source: Medindia