FSSAI approves nutritional labelling for packaged food in bold letters, bigger fonts

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved changes to nutritional information labelling on packaged food items, proposing that total salt, sugar, and saturated fat be displayed in bold letters and larger font sizes. 

FSSAI will issue a draft notification on the same and seek comments from stakeholders, PTI reported.

The 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”, said the official statement.

This decision to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, regarding nutritional information labelling, was made during the 44th meeting of the Food Authority, chaired by Apurva Chandra, Chairperson of FSSAI.

“The amendment aims to empower consumers to better understand the nutritional value of the product they are consuming and make healthier decisions,” the regulator said.

The draft notification for this amendment will be made public to invite suggestions and objections.

Nutritional information regarding the per-serve percentage (%) contribution to Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) will be displayed in bold letters for total sugar, total saturated fat, and sodium content, the FSSAI stated.

Regulation 2 (v) and 5(3) of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulation, 2020, specify the requirements for mentioning serving size and nutritional information on food product labels, respectively.

“Along with empowering consumers make healthier choices, the amendment would also contribute towards efforts to combat the rise of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and promote public health and well-being,” the statement said.

Prioritising clear and distinguishable labelling requirements will help in the global effort to combat NCDs.

FSSAI noted that it has been issuing advisories to prevent false and misleading claims, including advisories to e-commerce websites to remove the term ‘Health Drink,’ which is not defined or standardized under the FSS Act 2006 or related rules/regulations.