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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) convened a high-level National Stakeholder Consultation on Food Labelling, Advertisement and Claims here in the national capital, bringing together over 700 participants from government, industry, academia, consumer bodies, and regulatory authorities.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the consultation aimed to review existing regulations, address implementation challenges, and align India's standards with global best practices to boost consumer protection, public health, and industry innovation. In her inaugural address, Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava stressed the importance of ethical and truthful practices in the rapidly evolving food sector. "We are now exposed to the entire world, which means we must adopt positive changes and scrutinise food products more closely," she noted, adding that such consultations are "vital" in shaping future policy. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, called for an end to misleading advertising and urged manufacturers to treat labelling as a "factor of trust" rather than merely a marketing tool. "Consumers should be left to make the final choice based on truthful and honest declarations," she emphasised, urging collective responsibility to ensure accuracy and transparency in product information. Sanjeev Sanyal, Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, underscored the need for external validation of scientific claims in advertisements. He welcomed FSSAI's decision to implement all label changes annually on July 1, reducing uncertainty for the labelling industry. Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Prabhat, warned against false health and nutrition claims, highlighting their potential to erode public trust and harm health. The event featured technical sessions on global and Indian regulatory frameworks, enforcement case studies, and interactive discussions. Stakeholders exchanged insights on industry accountability, consumer rights, and collaborative enforcement strategies, resulting in actionable recommendations to enhance transparency and trust in food labelling and advertising. This consultation is part of FSSAI's ongoing national dialogue series aimed at building practical, health-aligned policies through close collaboration with industry, academia, and consumer organizations. (ANI)
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