One of the major concerns in the global market is the issue of front pack labelling. Only recently, experts from the consumer welfare as well as health industries have advised that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) must notify the FoPL regulations at the earliest as the issue is of extremely serious nature.
Intake of sugar and salt went down in some foreign countries after the introduction of Front of Pack Labelling (FoPL) on food products, and India must also follow suit, said experts in health and consumer welfare.
Experts say that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) must inform the FoPL regulations at the earliest as the issue is of an extremely serious nature. In countries like Canada, Chile, Israel, and Uruguay, FoPL on food products has proved to be successful in reducing the intake of sodium and sugar. Therefore, it is important for India to come out with the FoPL regulations soon.
Clear warnings about the presence of high salt, sugar, or fat in packed food would help consumers make informed choices. One foremost reason for the non-communicable disease pandemic is the change in dietary habits with processed foods that are high in salt, sugar, or fat being consumed in sizeable quantities.
It is important to understand that unmonitored salt, sugar, and fat intake pose a significant threat to the health of millions of Indians. Hence, to warn consumers about the nutrients of concern, FoPL like warning labels need to be made mandatory. These are messages that need to be conspicuously placed in packaged foods that will immediately warn consumers about the health risks of what they are about to consume.
Nutrient profiling is a scientific method of categorising foods according to their nutritional composition and is developed with the main objective of reducing consumption of salt, fat and sugar. The nutrition profile models (NPM) translate this into specific food and beverage targets and help us to identify foods that are high in salt, sugar, or fats. Based on the “limits” established by the NPM, the front-of-pack label informs consumers in a clear manner whether a product contains excessive sugar, salt or fat, thus helping them make healthier choices.