FSSAI mandates salt, sugar, and fat info in bold

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Health

Context:

New nutritional labelling proposals by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
FSSAI aims to enhance consumer awareness by mandating the highlighting of nutritional information (total sugars, salt, saturated fat) in bold letters on food labels.

Details:

FSSAI approved the proposal in its 44th meeting to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
Parle Products: Supports stricter guidelines for consumer awareness, and plans to review and respond to the draft.
Nestlé India: Already provides nutritional information, including Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labelling, and will comply with new regulations.
Amul: Will provide feedback once the regulation is open for comments.

Significance:

Expected to promote health-conscious behaviour and reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Challenges: Initial costs for updating labels and packaging, need for product reformulation.
Global Practices: Some countries, like Sri Lanka and Peru, mandate front-of-pack warnings about high levels of salt, sugar, and fats.
FSSAI considering front-of-pack nutrition-labelling (FOPNL) and a star rating system.
Market Impact:
- India’s packaged food market is valued at ₹4,240 billion.
- FSSAI has advised against misleading terms like ‘health drinks’ and incorrect claims like ‘100% fruit juices’ on labels.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):

FSSAI is an autonomous statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, of 2006.
The Act of 2006, consolidates various laws related to food, such as the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954,the Fruit Products Order, 1955,the Meat Food Products Order, 1973, and other acts that were previously handled by different ministries and departments.
The Act also aims to establish a single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards, by moving from multi-level, multi-departmental control to a single line of command.
FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health by regulating and supervising food safety and quality in India, operating under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
FSSAI has a headquarters in New Delhi and regional offices in eight zones across the country.
The Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of FSSAI, appointed by central government. The Chairperson is in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.

Functions and Powers: