Food Labelling; An Essential Tool for Consumer Empowerment

In India there is a rising trend of packaged and processed food which has made labeling indispensable and mandatory for Food Business Operator's (FBOS) and manufacturers.

- Dr Saurabh Arora

Considering the importance of labeling, government all over the world is striving to give the right message and to regulate and apprise the consumers about the food they choose and the proportion of ingredients in it. It is a matter of concern that a large number of people are overweight and grappling with high blood pressure. There is an apparent dietary shift as people are largely drawn towards processed and junk foods. Obtrusively, there is a surge in consumption of ultra-processed foods.

In this scenario, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)regulations has updated that it is necessary that the FBOs who are manufacturing the packaged foods must ensure that all the food is packed and labeled as per FSSAI regulations from time to time.

Primarily, the food packaging must ensure all the labeling requirements or else they have to bear the brunt of heavy penalties. Indeed it is the accountability of the Food Business Operators (FBO's) to provide accurate information on the product label to the consumers. Moreover, proper packaging is mandatory to obtain a Food license.

WHY IS SAFE PACKAGING OF FOOD PRODUCTS A KEY CONCERN IN INDIA?

The growing concern on the health impact of packaged foods has led FSSAI to take stringent measures such as all pre-packed food needs to comply with the packaging and labeling regulations. As per FSSAI labeling guidelines, a product has to be properly labeled with all essential information before it is ready for sale in the market. The labeling includes printed or graphic content information about the packaged food product.

From the perspective of consumers the label information is imperative as they evaluate the product based on the content of information like the ingredients, weight, price, expiration date, nutritional value, etc. before purchasing a product.