|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
FSSAI likely to make printing of quantum of ingredients mandatory on labels soon
|
|
Monday, 27 June, 2011, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Irum Khan, Mumbai
|
Food business operators will now have to print the amount of transfat, added sugar, saturated fat and salt used in their food products on the label. This was confirmed by Dr Sesikeran, director, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, in a telephonic interview with FnB News.
Earlier the manufacturers voluntarily printed these details but now the law will make it mandatory to print this information on the labels.
This, along with the recommended daily allowance will give a clear picture of the ingredients and the nutritional value of ingredients to the consumers. RDA is the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements.
The changes have come about after a series of recent meetings of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) panel for labelling and claims / advertisement, which discussed various issues surrounding the labelling laws on food products. In addition, the members who attended the last meeting also deliberated on the direction of the Supreme Court to consider lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan's PIL (public interest litigation) demanding additional info on labels.
Dr Sesikeran, who is the chairman of the labelling and claims / advertisement panel, informed that the current food labelling law is being reviewed entirely, following the meetings.
“The panel is currently reviewing the draft prepared by the FSSAI on food labelling and will provide its input. The final draft with required panel input shall be ready in a month-and-a-half and the Authority will then place it in public domain for suggestions, after which the scientific committee will take a review,” he said.
However, Dr Sesikeran shared that providing details on the “country of origin,” which is mandated in many Western countries may not be made compulsory in India. He explained, “It is the West which is more concerned about the country from which the food is imported, like India or China. But for a country like India, where most of the food is produced domestically, it is not the biggest concern.”
The panel is also keen on learning about the stand that the government is likely to take on the GM food. Once approved in India, the printing of GM food (particularly processed food) on label will be mandated.
Further, the health and nutritional claim will also be asked to be supported by enough scientific data.
The other issue that was discussed in the meeting was that of the font size of the text on the labels. Dr Sesikeran said that it was important that the labels could be clearly read without any reading aid and in reasonable amount of light.
“Though there is a law which asks for a minimum font size of 1mm (normal case), which depends on the principle display panel of the product, the FSSAI-labelling panel is likely to raise this to a higher mark,” he said.
The current labelling rules are notified in G.S.R. 664(E), a Notification of Government of India in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Department of Health).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|