The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to make changes to how nutritional information is displayed on packaged food labels. The new rules will require the amounts of total salt, sugar, and saturated fat to be shown in bold and larger font.
FSSAI plans to release a draft of this new regulation and ask for feedback from the public and stakeholders. This decision was made during their 44th meeting, chaired by Apurva Chandra, the head of FSSAI. The goal is to help consumers understand the nutritional content of their food better and make healthier choices.
The draft notification will include a rule that the percentage of Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for total sugar, saturated fat, and sodium must also be highlighted in bold. This is part of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which outline the requirements for serving sizes and nutritional information on food labels.
FSSAI believes this amendment will help fight the rise of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and improve public health. Clear labeling is a key part of the global effort to combat these diseases.
FSSAI has also been working to prevent misleading claims on food labels. For example, they have asked online retailers to stop using the term “Health Drink,” which isn’t defined by the FSS Act 2006. They’ve also told food businesses to remove “100% fruit juice” claims from reconstituted juice labels and not to use terms like “wheat flour” or “refined wheat flour.”
The meeting included officials from various ministries, states, and Union Territories, as well as representatives from industry, consumer groups, research institutes, and farmers’ organizations.
