Food labels difficult to read and interpret for consumers, says House panel reviewing FSSAI regulation

New Delhi: Lawmakers on Tuesday batted for the long-awaited “Front of Pack Labelling” (FOPL) of nutritional information on the packets of food products because “current labels are often difficult for average consumers to interpret” and may not guide them towards “healthier purchasing decisions.”

Noting the importance of an effective FOPL to address the growing incidences of diet related non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardio-vascular diseases, the Parliamentarians said such warning labels “significantly enhances the consumers ability to make quick and informed decision particularly for those with low literacy levels.”

In its report tabled in the Parliament, the Committee on Subordinate Legislation said the existing back of pack nutrition tables were frequently printed in very small fonts making them difficult or impossible for many consumers to read.

The Committee, chaired by Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, suggested that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India should encourage adoption of Front-of-Pack-Nutrition panels for the benefit of consumers and promote healthier food choice.

Such a panel should be in an easily-readable tabular format with a “prescribed minimum font size to ensure legibility”.

The House panel’s recommendations come at a time when a draft notification on the implementation of FOPL is under the consideration of the FSSAI since 2022 and the Supreme Court is hearing a public interest litigation on the same.

Earlier this year Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged the growing epidemic of obesity in the Indian population and the need to reduce consumption of oils and fats.

The Committee finds it alarming that sweeteners, alcoholic beverages and chewing gums are exempted from mandatory nutritional labelling, given their links to obesity, diabetes and hidden calories.

They note that sweeteners lack child warnings despite prior restrictions, alcohols contribute to non-communicable diseases without calorie disclosure and gums often contain artificial additives.

The lawmakers recommended that the FSSAI must amend the regulation to limit these exemptions that should only be applicable to raw, unprocessed items like herbs or spices.

While reviewing the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, the panel also underlined the need for explicit labelling criteria “distinguishing dairy products from plant-based alternatives” besides “regular market audits” and “enhanced penalties for repeated violations” for the benefit of consumers.