pinkofhealth Fitness, Food, Health

FSSAI: Make nutritional info bigger, bolder

food label with pictures of fruits and snacks in the background FSSAI approves proposal to make nutritional information on food--about total sugar, salt and saturated fat--bigger and in bolder fonts (Picture: Canva)

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved a proposal to make nutritional information on food–about total sugar, salt and saturated fat–bigger and in bolder fonts. By making the information more conspicuous, the move will allow buyers to make informed purchases and have more autonomy about their nutritional choices.

It will also contribute towards efforts to combat the rise of non-communicable diseases, said FSSAI.

“The decision to approve the amendment in the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 regarding Nutritional information labelling was taken in the 44th meeting of the Food Authority, held under the chairmanship of Shri Apurva Chandra, Chairperson, FSSAI. The amendment aims to empower consumers to better understand the nutritional value of the product they are consuming and make healthier decisions,” read FSSAI’s statement.

As per the proposal, information regarding per serve percentage for Recommended Dietary Allowances for total sugar, saturated fat and sodium content will be written in bolder and bigger font.

The FSSAI will issue a draft notification on this and seek comments from stakeholders, said PTI.

Led by de-influencers such as Revant Himatsingka (Foodpharmer), India is currently seeing a consumer activism revolution where FMCG companies are being held to a higher standard. The “Label Padhega India” campaign is already touted as a the next “Jaago Grahak Jaago” movement. This has spurred increased awareness about making the right diet choices among consumers.

Thanks to the concerted efforts by de-influencers and consumers, FSSAI also recently ordered beverage manufacturers and ecomm platforms from using the term “Health Drink” flippantly for any packaged drink or drink mix.
Last month, beverage brands were also asked to refrain from making “100% fruit juice” claims. The intent is to prevent consumers from getting misled about the nutritional value of packaged foods.

Additionally, even the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting actioned a Supreme Court directive, asking food and beverage advertisers to submit Self Declaration Certificates.

“The self-declaration certificate is to certify that the advertisement (i) does not contain misleading claims, and (ii) complies with all relevant regulatory guidelines, including those stipulated in Rule 7 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 and the Norms of Journalistic Conduct of Press Council of India. Advertiser must provide proof of uploading the Self-Declaration Certificate to the relevant broadcaster, printer, publisher, or electronic media platform for their records. As per the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directive, no advertisement will be permitted to run on television, print media, or the internet without a valid Self-Declaration Certificate,” said the Government of India.