The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has approved a proposal to present nutritional details concerning total sugar, salt, and saturated fat prominently in bold letters and larger font sizes on packaged food labels.
The regulatory body approved amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, during its 44th meeting chaired by Apurva Chandra, chairperson of FSSAI. These amendments aim to enhance consumer understanding of nutritional value in packaged foods, encouraging healthier choices, FSSAI said in a statement on Saturday.
The draft notification for these amendments will now be publicly available for feedback and objections.
Key changes include highlighting the percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowances for total sugar, total saturated fat, and sodium content in bold letters. Regulation 2 (v) and 5(3) of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulation, 2020, specify requirements for serving size and nutritional information on food labels, respectively.
In addition to promoting healthier consumer decisions, these amendments align with efforts to combat non-communicable diseases and bolster public health. Clear and distinct labelling requirements are prioritised to support global NCD prevention initiatives.
The FSSAI said that it continues to issue advisories to prevent misleading claims by food business operators, such as removing unsubstantiated terms like 'Health Drink' and inaccurate claims related to fruit juices and wheat flour.
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