The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Saturday gave nod to new rules regarding display of nutritional information on packaged food items. The proposed changes stipulate that total saturated fat, sugar and salt content should be displayed in bold letters and in bigger font size.
With regard to the approved amendment in the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, the food regulator will issue a draft notification in the public domain and seek suggestions and objections from various stakeholders.
FSSAI, in an official statement, said it has approved "a proposal to display nutritional information regarding total sugar, salt and saturated fat in bold letters and relatively increased font size on labels of packaged food items".
The regulator said the move will empower consumers to better understand the nutritional value of the product they are consuming and make healthier decisions. It will also help tackle the rising cases of non-communicable diseases in the country.
The latest decision was taken during the 44th meeting of the regulator chaired by FSSAI chief Apurva Chandra. The meeting was also attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises besides top bureaucrats from different states and Union Territories. Various stakeholders from industry associations, consumer organisations, research institutes and farmers' organisations also took part.
FSSAI added that it had earlier issued other advisories to e-commerce websites and food business operators to prevent false and misleading claims such as “health drinks”, “100% fruit juices” and “wheat flour/refined wheat flour”.