FSSAI Says Salt, Sugar, Saturated Fat Content On Packaged Items To Be Written In Bold Font, Seeks Public Opinion

FSSAI 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 Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Saturday approved revisions to nutritional information labelling on packaged food items. The proposal regarding the changes stated that the overall salt, sugar, and saturated fat content in food items should be displayed in a bigger font size and bold letters.

The food regulator issued an official statement and said that it 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 decision regarding the changes was taken in the 44th meeting of the Food Authority with Apurva Chandra, Chairperson, FSSAI, presiding as the Chairman of the meeting, reported Moneycontrol.

The proposed changes will now be put forth in the public domain and the regulator will be inviting recommendations and objections from the general public. “The amendment aims to empower consumers to better understand the nutritional value of the product they are consuming and make healthier decisions,” the FSSAI noted.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare noted that this decision will not only help empower consumers to adapt healthier choices, but also help control 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 ministry said.

Notably, the food regulator has been issuing advisories time and again to curb false and misleading claims. This includes the previous advisory issued to e-commerce websites to curb the usage of the term ‘Health Drink’ as the phrase was not defined or standardised anywhere under the FSS Act 2006 or any regulations made thereunder.

As per the proposed revisions, food items will include information regarding per serve percentage contribution for total sugar, saturated fat, and sodium to Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) in bold letters.