The Swadeshi Jagran Manch has expressed its gratitude towards the Minister of Health and Family Welfare and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for approving significant changes to nutritional labelling on packaged food products. This decision, announced recently, mandates that total salt, sugar, and saturated fat must now be displayed in bold letters and larger font size on food labels. This new regulation is viewed as a substantial step forward in promoting public health.
This development marks a departure from FSSAI’s earlier proposal to adopt a Front of Pack Label (FOPL) system featuring a Health Star Rating (HSR). The HSR model, which was intended to provide a quick assessment of a product’s healthiness, faced criticism for potentially misleading consumers. Critics argued that the star rating system might give a false sense of healthiness, as high-star ratings could be mistakenly interpreted as indicative of healthful content, despite the presence of harmful ingredients like excessive sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
Swadeshi Jagran Manch had been vocal in its opposition to the Health Star Rating system, advocating instead for clear warnings about unhealthy ingredients. The organisation raised concerns that the star rating could be manipulated by the ultra-processed food industry, thereby compromising consumer interests. They highlighted that the presence of high levels of sugar, salt, and saturated fats in packaged foods has been linked to a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney and liver diseases.
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch initiated an online petition urging the government to reject the Health Star Rating model in favour of mandatory warnings about harmful ingredients. The petition argued that such warnings would empower consumers to make better-informed choices and could significantly reduce the prevalence of NCDs by alerting the public to the dangers of excessive consumption of sugar, salt, and saturated fats.
Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National Co-Convenor of Swadeshi Jagran Manch, emphasised the positive impact of this regulatory change. He stated, “We understand that this move by the government can go a long way in protecting our population, especially the youth, from the adverse effects of harmful food products. It is a crucial step towards reducing the incidence of NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and liver diseases.”
The new labelling requirements are expected to enhance consumer awareness and drive healthier food choices, ultimately contributing to the improvement of public health across the country.
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