New Delhi, Aug 29: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has prepared a proposal for front-of-pack (FoP) warning labels for packaged food products. It will be mandatory for packaged foods with added sugar, fat and salt. The proposed FoP label will be in pictorial form, so that consumers can easily identify products high in a particular nutrient.
In a short six-page affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on Friday, the FSSAI revealed that the FOP label will be in the shape of a red hexagon and will be in a font size one point larger than that used in the nutrition facts table at the back of the pack.
Justice J.B. The affidavit comes a fortnight after a Supreme Court bench headed by Pardiwala took up FSSAI.
The Supreme Court is hearing a PIL filed by a Kerala-based organisation seeking mandatory FoP warning labels for foods high in fat, sugar and salt.
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Nothing mandatory
High fat, high sugar or high salt: Clear declarations identifying specific nutrients that exceed safe food limits. Products exceeding the limit of multiple ingredients must carry joint labels like “high fat high sugar”or“high fat high salt”, it has been ordered.
Sweetened beverages: A unique “highly sweetened beverage” label will be mandatory for sugary drinks. The proposed guidelines will officially come into force after formal amendments are made to the Food Safety and Standards (Labels and Display) Rules.