FSSAI Holds National Consultation on Food Labelling and Advertising

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, organised a National Stakeholder Consultation on Food Labelling, Advertisement and Claims at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event was attended by around 700 representatives from government departments, food businesses, consumer groups, scientific experts, and academic institutions. The consultation aimed to review current regulations, identify implementation challenges, and align India’s food labelling system with global best practices.

Ethical and Truthful Declarations

In her inaugural address, Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, underlined that with rapid changes in the food sector, India needs to adopt global best practices while ensuring stricter scrutiny of products. She noted that ethical and truthful practices in labelling and advertising are essential in today’s evolving market.

Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, stressed that food labelling should not be treated merely as a marketing tool but as the most important factor of trust between manufacturers and consumers. She pointed out that consumers must be provided with clear, transparent, and accurate information so that they can make their own safe and healthy choices. She also emphasized that the food industry carries a collective responsibility to ensure that labels are honest and not misleading.

Accountability in Food Advertisements

Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, highlighted the need for external validation of scientific claims made in food advertisements. He stated that even if scientific evidence exists, it should undergo independent verification. He further appreciated FSSAI’s decision to implement all label changes only once a year, starting from July 1, which he said would reduce uncertainty and challenges for the labelling industry.

Shri Prabhat, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, focused on the seriousness of false claims in the food sector. He stressed that misleading or unverified advertisements not only damage consumer trust but also pose significant risks to public health.

Technical Sessions and Case Studies

The consultation featured a technical session on the global and Indian frameworks for food labelling, advertisement, and claims. It was followed by a presentation from FSSAI titled “From Claims to Compliance”, where enforcement case studies were shared. These sessions encouraged constructive dialogue on industry responsibilities, compliance challenges, and collaborative solutions to improve food labelling standards.

Towards Better Consumer Protection

The consultation resulted in actionable recommendations to make India’s food labelling system more transparent, responsible, and consumer-friendly. By engaging multiple stakeholders, including industry representatives, academia, farmer groups, and consumer organizations, FSSAI aims to strengthen policies that are both practical and aligned with public health priorities.

The event was attended by senior FSSAI officials, including CEO Shri G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, along with Dr. Alka Rao (Advisor, S&S&R), Shri U. S. Dhyani (Executive Director), and Shri Satyen Kumar Panda (Advisor, QA).

Official Notification

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