Draft regulations for the front-of-the-pack nutritional labelling

  • September 21, 2022
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Draft regulations for the front-of-the-pack nutritional labelling

Subject : Economy

Context: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released draft regulations for the front-of-the-pack nutritional labelling (FOPNL) for packaged food companies.

Details:

  • It will be voluntary in nature for four years.
  • It proposes to bring in five star ratings on the front labels of the packed food products to give consumers more information about the nutritional profile of the packaged food products.
    • It  proposed the mathematical formula on which star ratings
      • It  has defined baseline reference values for energy, total sugars, saturated fats and sodium that contribute to health risk factors.
      • It has also prescribed the minimum percentage of positive nutrients such as fruit and vegetables, nuts, legumes, fibres and protein.
      • Based on these two, food products will obtain Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) scores which will determine the number of stars for the food product.
  • For instance, a solid food product with INR scores in the range of 21-24 will be eligible for only one star (higher the number of stars better fulfills better nutrient needs).
  • It for the first time defines High Fat Sugar and Salt (HFSS) food
    • HFSS food means a processed food product which has high levels of saturated fat or total sugar or sodium.
  • Products exceptions-fresh meat, poultry, eggs , herbs, spices, masalas, honey, natural mineral water, buttermilk, infant formula and single-ingredient products such as table-top salt, white sugar, vinegar and mustard.

Concept:

Front-of-Pack (FoP) Labelling System:

  • FoP labelling system has long been listed as one of the global best practices to nudge consumers into healthy food choices.
  • The front of pack nutritional labelling has been introduced in various countries where obesity and other lifestyle diseases pose a significant health risk.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) defines FoP labels as nutrition labelling systems that are presented on the front of food packages in the principal field of vision; and present simple, often graphic information on the nutrient content or nutritional quality of products.
  • The Codex Alimentarius Commission mentions that “FoP labelling is designed to assist in interpreting nutrient declarations”.
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC):

  • It is an intergovernmental body established jointly by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1963, within the framework of the Joint Food Standards Programme.
  • The Secretariat of the CAC is hosted at FAO headquarters in Rome.
  • It was established to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.
  • It meets in regular session once a year alternating between Geneva and Rome.
  • Currently, it has 189 Codex Members.
  • Codex Alimentarius:
    • It is a collection of international food standards that have been adopted by the CAC.
    • The Standards cover all the main foods, whether processed, semi-processed or raw, materials used in the further processing of food products.
    • Codex provisions concern the hygienic and nutritional quality of food, including microbiological norms, food additives, pesticide and veterinary drug residues.
  • India became a member of Codex Alimentarius in 1964
  • Membership of the Commission is open to all Member Nations and Associate Members of FAO and WHO, which are interested in international food standards
Draft regulations for the front-of-the-pack nutritional labelling economy