Food laws must work on making unbranded items safer: Assocham report

Study surveyed 5,000 participants from 15 large cities, says Indian consumers mostly satisfied with product information provided about branded foods, but are concerned about unbranded items

Food regulations should focus on improving the quality and safety of unbranded and unpackaged food, which is consumed by the majority of the population, instead of just targeting packaged branded food products, said a report titled "Indian Cuisine at a Crossroad”.

The report by Assocham Foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) said Indian consumers, while largely satisfied with the product information provided for packaged branded goods, are concerned when it comes to unbranded goods.

The report emphasises the importance of comprehending the driving factors behind Indian food choices and has gathered feedback from over 5,000 participants in 15 of the most populous cities in the form of a nationwide cross-sectional study.

 

Deepak Sood, Secretary General, Assocham, said, “The Indian government has done some stellar work in implementing policies to enhance self-sufficiency in food production and promotion of foods with high nutrient content such as millets. Again, the country’s efforts to position itself as a global hub for millets is backed by efforts to have Indian states collaborate with G20 countries on millets and traditional cuisine.”

The report suggests that the choice of foods is important for the Indian consumer, which is determined chiefly by taste, price, availability, access, health consciousness, habits, and preferences.

“Overall, the Indian consumer is concerned about the quality of the food product they purchase and satisfies her or himself by looking at the information provided at the back of the pack of packaged products. Most people appear satisfied with the manner and the detail of the existing current format and find it useful,” it added.

The report said that the message for regulators is that food regulation should target to improve the lives of the masses and not the classes.

“While regulatory bodies like FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) have taken some steps, such as the Clean Street Food Hub project, their focus seems limited given the scale of the challenge,” it added.