Bigger, bolder labels: Companies look to put it back on FSSAI table

Industry executives say the transition to new nutritional labelling may have cost implications for companies as they usually have packaging stock for the next few months

The packaged foods industry is planning to go back to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) after the regulatory body approved a proposal mandating the display of nutritional information — total sugar, salt, and saturated fat — in bold letters and larger font sizes.

The draft notification for this amendment would now be publicly available for suggestions and objections, as announced in a press statement on Saturday.

“The industry will go back to deliberations along with FSSAI. There are many angles to cover. But it isn’t very easy given the complex Indian dietary context,” explained a senior executive from a leading packaged foods company. Another executive said the industry's response would be coordinated through collective representation, rather than individual companies approaching the regulator.  “We will adhere to the new norms once finalised. For now, FSSAI has asked for comments on the new proposal,” the executive stated.

On the proposed amendments, a  Nestlé  India spokesperson said:  “We are already providing nutritional information on the back of our product packs and have also voluntarily included Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labelling on front of our packs that provides consumers with transparent nutrition information in the context of a reference portion for energy and other key defined nutrients. As a compliant company, we will comply with the regulations.” 

Back in September 2022, after extensive stakeholder discussions, when the FSSAI proposed the Indian Nutrition Rating — a star system to evaluate and rate the overall nutritional profile of packaged foods, assigning ratings from half a star to five stars.

However, the transition to bigger and bolder nutritional labelling may have cost implications for companies. One executive pointed out: “If this comes into play, then there could be a monetary loss as new packaging will be needed and companies usually have packaging stock for the next few months.”

“It (the proposed amendment) is a long way off from coming into effect as public comments are yet to be received and a final decision made,” he said, noting the company's products are usually consumed by the lower income strata of society and regardless of the new labelling, people will continue to consume packaged foods like chips and biscuits as they need the energy.

In a Press Information Bureau release on Saturday, it was stated: “The information regarding per serve percentage (%) contribution to recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) would be displayed in bold letters for total sugar, total saturated fat, and sodium content.” 

The proposed amendments aims to empower consumers to better understand the nutritional value of the products they consume, promoting healthier decisions. 

“The amendment would also contribute towards efforts to combat the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and promote public health and well-being. The prioritisation of the development of clear and distinguish labelling requirements would help in the global effort to combat NCDs”, the note elaborated.

Recently, FSSAI advised e-commerce websites to remove the term “health drink”, as it is not standardised, and directed food business operators to eliminate claims of “100 per cent fruit juices” from labels and advertisements of reconstituted fruit juices.

According to the 2024 Healthy Snacking Report released by Farmley, 73 per cent of over 6,000 respondents across all ages scrutinise ingredient lists and nutritional values of the products they buy.

Public health experts support the move but stress the importance of front-of-the-pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL). “Sugar, salt, and fat are the most harmful constituents in packaged foods and significantly impact health. Highlighting these on packs will help people make wiser consumption choices,” says Aksshita Gupta, a Delhi-based dietician and CEO of GLLO Life.

Instagram influencer Revant Himatsingka, who goes by the name Food Pharmer on social media, described the move as a small step in the right direction. “Companies put such information in very small font sizes, making it difficult to read. In the long-term, this information needs to be on the front of the label,” he told Business Standard on the sidelines of a healthy snacking summit.

However, Arun Gupta, paediatrician and convener of public advocacy group Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), criticised the move as an “eyewash.” “The information will be provided on the back of the pack in the ‘nutrition information’, that too on the ‘% of RDA’ section on the nutrition label, which not a lot of people understand and know how to read. The move does not compare and should not replace much needed action on FOPNL, which will go a long way in bringing down consumption of HFSS (high fat sugar salt) foods and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases in the Indian population,” said Gupta, adding that meaningful policies on FOPNL and the prohibition of misleading ads are necessary to combat obesity and diabetes. NAPi, in its latest report titled ‘50 shades of food advertising,’ called for government regulations on advertising HFSS foods and adopting the definition of ultra-processed foods as recommended in the latest ICMR- National Institute of Nutrition guidelines.

Tightening norms

The FSSAI new draft notification mandating display of total sugar, total saturated fat and sodium content on food packages would now be publicly available for suggestions and objections
 

The food regulator had earlier issued an advisory to e-commerce websites to remove the term ‘health drink’ as it is not defined or standardised anywhere 
 

It had also directed all food business operators to remove any claim of ‘100 per cent fruit juices’ from labels and advertisements

According to the 2024 Healthy Snacking report, released by Farmley on Saturday, as many as 73 per cent of the over 6,000 respondents across all ages said they are scrutinising ingredient lists and nutritional values of the products they buy