The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) approved changes to nutritional information labelling on packaged food items, mandating that total salt, sugar, and saturated fat be displayed in bold letters and a larger font size. A draft notification on this will be issued to seek stakeholder feedback.
The amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, was approved during the 44th meeting of the food authority, chaired by Apurva Chandra, Chairperson, FSSAI.
The change aims to help consumers better understand the nutritional value of the products they consume, thus enabling healthier decisions. The draft notification will be open for public suggestions and objections.
Additionally, the information regarding per serve percentage (%) contribution to Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for total sugar, total saturated fat, and sodium content will be displayed in bold letters.
Regulations 2 (v) and 5(3) of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulation, 2020, specify requirements for serving size and nutritional information on food product labels. Enhancing these labelling requirements supports the global effort to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs). FSSAI has been issuing advisories to prevent false and misleading claims.
As reported by business.outlookindia.com, the advisories include directing e-commerce websites to remove the term health drink, which is not defined or standardized under the FSS Act 2006 or related rules/regulations. FSSAI has also instructed Food Business Operators (FBOs) to remove claims of 100% fruit juices from the labels and advertisements of reconstituted fruit juices and to avoid using terms like wheat flour/refined wheat flour to prevent misleading claims.