"Supreme Court Orders Front-of-Pack Food Warning Labels"
FOPL (Front-of-Pack Labelling)
a warning or nutrient symbol placed on the front of food packaging for quick consumer recognition.
HFSS
foods High in Fat, Sugar, or Salt, flagged for their link to obesity and non-communicable disease.
India's food regulation began with the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, which was repealed and replaced by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA). The FSSA created the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as the country's single food regulator, headed by a Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, not the Director General of Health Services, and placed under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011 already require a back-of-pack nutrition table, a full ingredient list, and a vegetarian or non-vegetarian mark on packaged food. They do not require any front-of-pack warning.
A decade ago, an expert group set up on the directions of the Delhi High Court recommended fixed limits on fat, sugar and salt in packaged food, along with stronger labelling. That recommendation was not implemented. A public interest litigation later brought the matter before the Supreme Court, which has now directed the government to introduce a front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) regime through the FSSAI. In its latest affidavit, the FSSAI has proposed a red hexagon symbol to warn buyers when a product is high in fat, sugar, or salt (HFSS), but only when two of the three nutrients cross a set threshold, not any one of them alone.
HFSS foods are those high in fat, sugar or salt, nutrients linked to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease when consumed in excess. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends front-of-pack labelling because a back-of-pack nutrition table, while informative, is hard for an average shopper to read and compare quickly at the point of purchase. FOPL puts a simple visual cue on the front of the package instead.
One common FOPL model is the traffic-light system, which uses red, amber and green colour codes to show whether a nutrient level is high, medium, or low. …
Consider the following statements :
1.The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
2.The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is under the charge of Director General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to pre-packaged items in India, it is mandatory to the manufacturer to put which of the following information on the main label, as per the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011?
1.List of ingredients including additives
2.Nutrition information
3.Recommendations, if any, made by the medical profession about the possibility of any allergic reactions
4.Vegetarian/non-vegetarian
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Consider the following pairs:
Commonly used/consumed materials — Unwanted or controversial chemicals likely to be found in them
1.Lipstick — Lead
2.Soft drinks — Brominated vegetable oils
3.Chinese fast food — Monosodium glutamate
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
How do you account for the growing fast food industries given that there are increased health concerns in modern society? Illustrate your answer with the Indian experience.
Consider the following statements: 1. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 repealed the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. 2. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is headed by the Director General of Health Services. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following must mandatorily appear on the label of pre-packaged food items under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011? 1. List of ingredients 2. Nutrition information 3. Vegetarian/non-vegetarian symbol 4. Medical recommendations on possible allergic reactions. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Match List I (Country/Body) with List II (Front-of-Pack Labelling measure) and select the correct answer using the code given below:
List I:
A.Chile
B.Sri Lanka
C.India (FSSAI proposal)
List II:
1.Red hexagon HFSS warning label
2.Black octagon warning label
3.Traffic-light system for sugar-sweetened beverages
With reference to Front-of-Pack Labelling (FOPL), consider the following statements: 1. The WHO recommends FOPL as more effective than back-of-pack nutrition tables in guiding consumer choice. 2. The traffic-light labelling system uses red, amber, and green colour codes to indicate high, medium, or low nutrient levels. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
As per the National Family Health Survey-6 (2023-24), compared to the previous round, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Obesity prevalence among women aged 15-49 years rose to over 30%. 2. Obesity prevalence among men aged 15-49 years rose to over 30%.
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