FSSAI Approves Proposal To Enhance Nutritional Information Labelling On Packaged Food
The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) on Saturday approved a proposal to display nutritional information regarding total sugar, salt and saturated fat in bold letters and larger font sizes on food product labels.
The decision was taken during its 44th meeting chaired by Apurva Chandra. The amendments were made to empower consumers to better understand the nutritional value of a product they are consuming and make healthier decisions.
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Recent directives also include the removal of the term “Health Drink” from e-commerce websites, eliminating claims of 100% fruit juices on reconstituted fruit juice labels, and regulating the advertisements of wheat flour and ORS products.
This change is outlined in Regulation 2(v) and 5(3) of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulation, 2020, which mandates the inclusion of serving size and nutritional information on food product labels.
“Along with empowering consumers to make healthier choices, the amendment will also contribute towards efforts to combat the rise of non-communicable diseases and promote public health and well-being,” said a statement from the food regulator.
The draft notification for these changes will be made available for public comments and suggestions.
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The meeting was attended by senior officials from various ministries, including Health and Family Welfare, Commerce, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Law and Justice, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. Representatives from industry associations, consumer organizations, research institutes, and farmers’ organizations also participated.
