Restrictions To Use Terms Like ‘Fresh’, Natural, in Food Ads

The Health Ministry of India has laid new guidelines which restrict the use of certain terms and processing techniques for product promotion.

Using the terms like "fresh", "natural", "traditional" and "original" in advertisements for food products have been restricted by the health ministry.

The term "fresh" can only be applied to products which have not been processed in any manner except washed, peeled, chilled, trimmed and put through other processing necessary for making it safe for consumption, without altering its basic characteristics.

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‘Unless a food retains its basic characteristics even after simple processing, it can't be termed natural.’

The draft, prepared by the Food Safety and Security Authority of India (FSSAI), which authorizes food standards also clearly mentions that "fresh" or "freshly" shall have no other connotation than the immediacy of the action being described.

What’s Not Fresh?

A food containing additives and/or subjected to packaging, storing or any other supply chain processes
A food that controls freshness shall not be termed as "freshly stored" or "freshly packed".
"Natural" can also not be used for compound food products, which may be described as "made from natural ingredients", instead of a food which has food derived from a recognized source such as a plant, animal, micro-organism or mineral and to which nothing has been added.
Foods that are subjected to processing with chemicals, cooking processes such as roasting, blanching and dehydration, freezing, concentration, pasteurization, and sterilization.
Foods that are packed with chemicals and preservatives.

The draft proposal has now called for suggestions from stakeholders before it is finalized.

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Conditions For Using Descriptions

Traditional : It says that term "traditional" can only be used to describe a recipe, fundamental formulation or processing method for a product that has existed for a significant period running over generations and should have been available substantially unchanged over time.

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Original: "The term 'original' shall only be used to describe a food that is made to a formulation, the origin of which can be traced, and that has remained essentially unchanged over time. It should not contain replacements for major ingredients.

It may similarly be used to describe a process, provided it is the process first used in the making of the food, and which has remained essentially unchanged over time, although it may be mass-produced," the draft says.

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Health Claims: The draft, which has five schedules clearly mentioning the restrictions, also deals with the health claims of products.

"Health claims for fortified food articles should be like Vitamin A for helping in preventing night blindness, Iron for fighting anemia, Iodine required for normal growth, thyroid, and brain function. Thiamine is required for normal nerve and heart function," says the draft.

The claim should also have "a statement that in order to obtain the claimed benefits, the daily intake of the nutrient/ingredient (for example 3g beta-glucan) should be taken from either the same food or any other food that provides the nutrient/ingredient containing the beneficial nutrient/ingredient".

The draft says that the claim that a food has certain nutritional or health attributes shall be scientifically substantiated by validated methods of quantifying the ingredient or substance that is the basis for the claim.

"All disclaimers related to a claim shall appear in the same field of vision. No claim or promotion of sale, supply, use, and consumption of articles of foods shall be made using FSSAI logo and license number. Advertisements shall also not undermine the importance of healthy lifestyles," the draft says.

Meal Replacements: "Advertisements for food or beverages shall not be promoted or portrayed as a meal replacement. Claims in advertisements shall not be inconsistent with information on the label or packaging of the food or beverage," the draft says.

Source-Medindia