To prevent customers from purchasing packaged foods that are high in sugar, salt, and fat, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has produced a proposed notification for front-of-pack labelling.

To prevent customers from purchasing packaged foods that are high in sugar, salt, and fat, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has produced a draught notification for front-of-pack labelling.

According to the draught notification, packaged foods will be required to display a star image next to the brand name.

Similar to the star rating system for electronic products' energy efficiency, the "Indian Nutrition Rating (INR)" will assign a low grade to foods that are the least healthy and a high rating to those that are the healthiest.

The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 established the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India as a statutory body.

Objectives

To lay down science-based standards for articles of food

To regulate manufacture, storage, distribution, import and sale of food

To facilitate safety of food

Role/Functions of FSSAI

Creating regulations to set standards and norms for food-related products.

establishing procedures or rules for the accreditation of organisations that certify management systems for food safety.

establishing a national information network to provide the public with trustworthy and impartial information regarding food safety and other pressing topics.

Participate in the creation of global technical standards for sanitary, phytosanitary, and food standards.

Composition

The FSSAI is made up of a Chairperson and 22 members, with women making up one-third of the total.

The Central Government appoints the FSSAI Chairperson.

The Central Advisory Committee works with enforcement authorities while Scientific Committees and Panels assist the Food Authority in developing guidelines.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is the concerned ministry

At State level

State-level food safety authorities are chosen by the FSSAI.

The State Food Safety Commissioners bear a major portion of the primary responsibility for enforcement.

Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) System

The INR system assigns packaged foods a grade from 12 star (least healthy) to 5 stars based on their overall nutritional profile (healthiest).

More stars mean the food item is more able to meet daily nutrient requirements for humans.

According to the notification, solid food will receive 0.5 stars if it receives a score of more than 25, and 5 stars if it receives a score of less than - (negative) 11.

Food enterprises must submit the nutritional profiles of the aforementioned items to the FSSAI's portal in order to generate the star-rating logo for the product.

The non-communicable diseases that most commonly afflict the population are linked to the excessive consumption of carbohydrates, fats, and sodium.

Overweight or obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, vascular, heart, and brain illnesses, as well as kidney disease, are examples of non-communicable diseases.

Due to the broad availability, low cost, and promotion of processed and ultra-processed food items, there has been an over intake of certain nutrients.

A straightforward, useful, and efficient method for alerting consumers to products that may be harmful to their health and aiding in purchase decisions is the front-of-package warning labelling.

An expert committee assembled by the FSSAI in India in 2014 proposed FoPL on packaged foods.

Source: The Indian Express