In a step which is likely to give rise to an overhaul in the perception of the Indian consumer about packaged food, FSSAI has proposed the idea of including a front-of-pack label warning on HFSS packaged foods. This proposal has been made in light of the alarming rise in poor dietary habits and rising consumption of processed and packaged food in the country.
Consumers today find it necessary to twist the packet and go through the nutritional chart to figure out the kind of food item they are purchasing. However, for many consumers, particularly those who purchase things without any prior preparation, such information may become difficult to understand. The front-of-pack warning tries to reverse that trend by bringing forth important nutritional information right on the front of the packet.
This system comes as part of the attempt to inform people about the proper consumption of food. It has been found that excessive intake of added sugar, saturated fat, and salt leads to health problems such as obesity and nutrition-related chronic diseases. With the growing number of packaged snacks, sugary drinks, ready meals, and other processed foods, there are attempts made to provide easy access to information regarding the nutritional value of those products.
A warning label is a very simple method that should help customers find information about products before buying it. Instead of calculating and trying to understand complicated nutritional information, a consumer will receive clear information from the warning label that the product has high amounts of certain nutrient.
Moreover, the labeling scheme could have an effect on the food industry itself. When consumers start noticing more warning signs, there will be increased motivation for the companies to produce healthier foods without excessive amounts of sugar, salts or bad fats. In this sense, labeling could have its effect not only through consumer choices but also by motivating companies to create healthier products.
At the same time, the introduction of the scheme is bound to raise discussion. The packaging food industry has already raised a number of issues concerning product classification, threshold setting and labeling system design. The science of nutrition is complicated, and one symbol cannot express all the nuances of the food's nutritional value. There can also be questions about portion sizes, natural sugars and different types of fat.
Consumer education will be very important, however. A warning label does not mean that the product is considered as "dangerous" by default and that it should be totally avoided by consumers. On the contrary, it can serve as a convenient decision tool which would allow people to realize which foods they should consume with caution.
This proposal is also in tune with an increasing trend at the international level. Several countries have tried out front-of-pack nutrition labeling systems, including some with warnings about excessive levels of sugar, salt or saturated fats. The evidence obtained from such efforts has made the case for simple and obvious labeling even stronger.
The challenge for India will be to devise a system that is scientific, comprehensible, and enforceable. It will require clearly established nutrient levels, standard symbols, and well-executed campaigns for public awareness in order for this to succeed.
At the end of the day, the proposal by FSSAI is not just a shift in packaging; it also poses the question of consumers’ right to nutritional information—should consumers have to look for the warning labels or have the warning labels located where they can find them?
With careful implementation, the proposed labelling system could make the food packet become a source of much more information—and give Indian consumers more insight as to what lies inside before reaching the counter.
Team Yuva Aaveg-
Adarsh Tiwari
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