Packaged food makers evaluate FSSAI's ‘big and bold’ letter proposal

Packaged food makers will evaluate the proposed changes in nutritional information labelling and send suggestions to the food regulator, executives said on Sunday.

In a bid to increase awareness, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) approved a proposal on Saturday that nutritional information like total sugars, salt, and saturated fat should be highlighted in big and bold letters on labels of packaged food items.

The decision to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, was taken during the 44th meeting of the food authority. A statement said the draft notification for the amendment will now be put in the public domain for further suggestions and objections.

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“We will evaluate the suggestions and respond to the authorities with our suggestions and objections (if any). On the face of it, as a fast-growing economy, there is a need for stricter guidelines for food outlets, and consumers deserve to be informed about the contents of the packaged food. It will make us all healthy and safe, which is of prime importance,” said Krishnarao Buddha, senior category head at Parle Products.

“We are already providing nutritional information on the back of our product packs. We have also voluntarily included Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labelling on the front of our product packs, which provides consumers with transparent nutrition information. We will comply with the regulations," said a Nestlé India spokesperson.

“We shall reply when the regulation is uploaded on the FSSAI website for comments,” said Jayen Mehta, managing director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (Amul).

Long-term advantages

Experts say the proposed amendment could nudge companies to reformulate their products to lower the amount of sugar, salt and fat as consumers become more aware.

The rule is expected to have long-term advantages in promoting a health-conscious community and lowering the occurrence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), despite initial hurdles, said Biplab Lenin, partner at law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.

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"Initial expenses for updating labels and redesigning packaging are anticipated, which will have an effect on operating budgets. Businesses will have to reposition their goods and promote them with an emphasis on their nutritional value,” he added.

The FSSAI said in its statement that the amendment would contribute towards efforts to combat the rise of NCDs and promote public health and well-being.

Lenin said since the draft notifications are up for suggestions and objections, the FSSAI will finalise the regulations after considering the feedback and may grant a grace period of six to 12 months for compliance.

For some, highlighting the text and mandating larger font sizes on the back of packs is insufficient to educate consumers. “Many countries like Sri Lanka and Peru have asked brands to highlight the message in the front of the pack and highlight within blurbs of specific dimensions that the product is high in salt, sugar, saturated fats, etc. This has a better impact on enabling change in consumer behaviour,” said K.S. Narayanan, a food and beverage expert.

Other measures  

To be sure, India's food regulator is also weighing a front-of-pack nutrition-labelling (FOPNL) system, along with a star rating to indicate the nutritional value of an item.

Also Read: The role of food labels in a healthy diet

India’s packaged consumer food market, including dairy, biscuits, snacks and sweets, baked products, ready-to-eat meals, among others, is valued at ₹4,240 billion, according to a 2024 report by brokerage Anand Rathi.

The FSSAI is also enforcing stricter norms to ensure brands are transparent about their offerings. Earlier this year, it sent advisories to e-commerce platforms requesting they remove the term ‘health drinks’ from beverages and powdered drinks being sold on their platforms.

It also directed food business operators (FBOs) to remove any “100% fruit juices” claim from the labels and advertisements of reconstituted fruit juices, among other similar advisories.

“When it comes down to these big, mid and small players, they will face substantial cost such as reprinting new labels, reformulating products, repackaging. The food industry will take some time to adapt to the move, without hampering their operations,” said Alay Razvi, Partner, Accord Juris.

"When it comes down to timelines, the draft notification would be released for objections and approval, which can take anywhere between 3-6 months in the best case scenario. Thereon, FSSAI will issue final notification with a grace period for compliance, which should be at their discretion considering the market size and implementation of the amendment," he added.