Food safety is highly critical to sustain the wellbeing and health of consumers. Food safety and Food security are two major concerns of today’s global governments as well as end users. However, if looked upon closely, safe food is the primary concern and is precursor to food security. It is in this context, the definition of Food Security was broadened by the WHO by incorporating food safety and also nutritional balance to it, which reads as “a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
The key words here “Safe, Nutritious, Dietary Needs, Food Preferences” carry significant meaning and have direct bearing on the food packaging and label information.
The WHO Global Strategy on diet, physical activity, and health, recommends to the food industry to provide consumers with simple, clear, and consistent food labels and evidence based health claims that will help consumers to make informed and healthy choices.
At present times, food supply has turned global, with ever widening range of food products through supermarket shelves, besides explosion of ready to eat and ready to serve foods in the market and with consumer choice as a watchword.
Thus, packaging has become an important part of the value chain analysis, regarding food safety. There has been great shift from just food containment of food for easy storage and transport to more significant objectives viz. prevention of contamination, preservation, security (from tampering and adulteration) and more significantly to allow food labeling and other information for consumers such as ingredients, nutritional information, directions for use/storage. as well as for makers or manufacturers to adhere to laws and regulations regarding labeling.
In the context of countries like ours, where consumers are in the process of changing their consumption/buying behavior especially with respect to packaged food products, very little is known regarding consumers expectations and their response to food label information.
However, gradually, consumption of packaged food items has grown tremendously in the recent past, with increasing demand for healthy and wellness foods. With this change in lifestyle and consumption pattern, food safety standards, transparency in dissemination of information related to food product and legal regulations are becoming important on food labels.
Food packaging and labeling is an important communication tool between consumers and food manufactures. Consumer’s ability to read and understand information on a food label is vital. As a consumer, we must be aware about two major packaging forms, one is primary food packaging; which is the most essential form of packaging and is in direct contact with the food product. It is intended to preserve the food product and ensure protection from external bacteria or particles.
Then there is secondary packaging; used for branding and as an extra measure of protection for the food product. It serves as a means of marketing the food product.
Food manufacturers/marketers and even its competitors including fraudulent companies invest significantly for designing product packaging and conduct extensive research into the trends and needs of consumers to ensure their packaging is attractive and compelling.
This is in particular to the foods products where kids and children are target groups in the consumption chain. They are working more closely than ever before to produce packaging products with attractive colours, designs and catchy phrases and claims. For this reason, it is also known by the name of Silent Salesman. However, we all must be aware of the Silent Salesman and remember that ‘all that Glitters is not Gold'. There are high chances that food product we purchase may be a fraud or not of the quality expected by us.
In India, Food Safety and Standards (Packaging & Labelling of Food) Regulations, 2011, provides guidelines for packaging and labeling of food items for the Food Business Operators. It mandates for compulsory and optional information to be made available on the food package for the consumers both in text as well as logo form.
Among the many mandatory and voluntary declarations, here is a list of important information that consumer must always look for before buying the food product, no matter how attractive and appealing the package might appear.
Food Packaging: This is the most important food safety parameter, a consumer must see, whether packaging in which food is contained/served is food grade or not. This can be checked by looking for, ISI, BIS mark or Fork-Spoon logo. A consumer must never compromise on it.
FSSAI License/Registration No: This is the mandatory requirement for all the stakeholders involved in Manufacturing/Storage/Distribution/Sale of food products. It is the proof of identity for the Food Business Operator that it is registered with the Licensing/Registration Authority. A food package without the this identity can be a case of food fraud and unfair trade practice. A consumer must avoid buying food products without FSSAI License/Registration No.
Best Before / Expiry Date: These dates are an index of the Shelf life of a food product contained in the package. These may appear in the form of “Best Before” “Use by Date” or “Expiry Date” in case of Baby Foods. The shelf life must be counted from the date of Manufacture and Packaging on the package label, to make sure whether food product is out of date for use or not.
Manufacturer information: A consumed must look for the name and complete address of the manufacturer of the food product given on the label. A food product of unknown manufacturer or incomplete address can be adulterated and may prove to be deleterious for our health.
Nutrition information, RDA and directions for use: Before using a product, a consumer must read the Nutritional Information and Recommended Daily Allowance, especially with respect to the food products of special purpose like, Baby Foods, Nutraceutical Foods, Health Supplements, and Foods for Special Medical Use etc. Besides, directions for use and storage, allergy warnings must be read carefully before consuming the product to avoid health complications.
There are also some important logos that a consumer must look for on the package label of the product for theory authenticity of claims and advertisements these are FSSAI Logo, BIS Logo, Food Gade Logo, Organic Logo, Fortified Logo, Veg & Non-veg Logo.
Food Safety being a share responsibility needs coordinated efforts from all the stakeholders who are in one way or the other responsible for ensuring food safety ecosystem from farm to plate. Keeping in view the role of key stakeholders, WHO on the occasion of the 3rd World Food Safety Day has endured to “Team up for food safety” and called for action to “Ensure it’s safe, Grow it safe, Keep it safe, Know what's safe”. While the Governments, Farmers, Food Business Operators have to strive at their level to contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture. Consumers have pivotal role in making their efforts fruitful through consistent and continuous feedback and awareness.
An aware consumer is an asset to the society, on one hand consumer is the king and has been granted privilege and power through many global as well as local legislations to demand and rights. However, with rights come responsibilities, it is imperative that consumers also educate themselves and be a catalyst in the process of achieving the objectives of food safety.
"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food" (Hippocrates)
(The author is Food Safety Officer, Food and Drugs Administration, J&K. He can be reached at ibn.e.qayum@gmail.com)