GUWAHATI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced a new regulation prohibiting brands from using words such as ‘Pure’, ‘Natural’, ‘Fresh’ and ‘Authentic’ on their various food products from July 1 next.
As per the new FSSAI mandate, if the brands need to utilize such words, they will either have to take permission or convey a disclaimer about the same. In the event that the brands neglect to do so, the manufacturers will be charged with a fine of Rs.10 lakhs for the infringement.
FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said in a statement, “We have decided to redefine our role as an organisation that helps align the expectations of key stakeholders, including scientists, testing labs, food businesses, state governments and consumers.”
An official from the Health Department reportedly said that people generally believe what is written on the packaging and seeing such words like ‘real’ or ‘natural’ leads to compulsive buying.
{{PY1zPtpmQWsDNr3Mi8jM}}
To keep a check on companies randomly using these words, FSSAI has made it mandatory for brands to either take permission before using these words or carry a disclaimer that states- ‘this is only a brand name or trademark and does not represent its true nature’.
Only food items which have been cut, peeled, chilled and trimmed and which has undergone other processing required to make it fit for consumption, can be referred to as ‘Fresh’.
Companies and brands can also use the word ‘Fresh’ if the food items are unprocessed and “all the nutritive values in them are intact”.
The FSSAI statement further stated, “These regulations are aimed at establishing fairness in claims and advertisements of food products and make food businesses accountable for such claims /advertisements so as to protect consumer interests.”
According to the new guidelines, organizations can't go tub-thumping about their products that they have been suggested by restorative professionals or medicinal affiliations.
{{NL9x_RL9vR-qPHy39jHL}}
In the event that they do so, each of the declaration should be substantiated. In this way, whenever anyone goes out to shop, no one will get carried away by the high claims made by the brands of its different food products.
An examination done by two analysts of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in Pune a year ago on 1,200 Indian food commercials revealed that almost 60% of such promotions are 'deceiving in nature'. The analysis further found that FSSAI principles and codes of the Advertising Standards Council of India are 'tossed out of the window'.
