What is the decision taken by FSSAI? Why is there opposition to the Health-Star rating system?
What is the decision taken by FSSAI? Why is there opposition to the Health-Star rating system?
the story So Far: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is A draft regulation is expected to be issued for labels on the front of food packets It will inform consumers whether a product has high salt, sugar and fat content. It hopes to propose a system whereby stars will be assigned to a product, which has earned the ire of public health experts and consumer organizations, who say it will be misleading and ineffective. Health experts are demanding that the FSSAI recommend a “warning label” system instead, which has changed consumer behaviour.
Why do we need front-of-package labeling?
Over the past three decades, the country’s disease patterns have changed. While mortality rates due to communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases have declined and India’s population is living longer, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries are increasingly contributing to the overall disease burden. In 2016, NCDs accounted for 55% of premature death and disability in the country. Indians also tend to have excessive fat around the abdomen and abdomen, which increases the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-2021), 47.7% of men and 56.7% of women have a high risk ratio of waist to hip. Excess consumption of packaged and junk food has increased the double burden of malnutrition and overnutrition on children. According to an analysis by the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey in India (2016-2018), more than half of children and adolescents, whether malnourished or of normal weight, are at risk of heart diseases.
Reducing sugar, salt and fat is one of the best ways to prevent and control non-communicable diseases. While FSSAI requires mandatory disclosure of nutritional information on food packets, it is located on the back of a packet and is difficult to interpret.
What is the decision taken by FSSAI?
At a stakeholder meeting on February 15, 2022, three important decisions were made as to what would be the content of the draft rules on labeling on the front of the package. These included threshold levels used to determine whether a food product was high in sugar, salt, and fat; that the implementation shall be voluntary for a period of four years before being made mandatory; And that the health-star rating system will be used as a label based on a study commissioned by FSSAI and conducted by IIM-Ahmedabad. The food industry agreed with the FSSAI decision on the issue of mandatory implementation and use of ratings, and sought more time to study the issue of thresholds. A World Health Organization representative said the threshold level was moderate, while consumer organizations opposed all three decisions.
The biggest controversy is over the use of a health-star rating system that uses 1/2 to five stars to indicate a product’s overall nutritional profile. Despite the objections, FSSAI CEO Arun Singhal told Hindu That he stands with the IIM-A study as it is based on a survey of 20,500 people. He said stakeholders can share their comments once the draft rules are made public. After this, the scientific panel of FSSAI will consider it.
Why is there opposition to the rating system?
In the Health-Star rating system, introduced in Australia and New Zealand in 2014, a product is assigned a positive (eg, fruit, nut, protein content, etc.) A certain number of stars are given. (calories, saturated fat, total sugar, sodium). Scientists have said that such a system misrepresents nutritional science and that the presence of fruit in fruit juices does not offset the effects of added sugar. Experts say that so far there is no evidence of the rating system influencing consumer behavior. Stars can also lead to a ‘health halo’ due to their positive connotation which makes it difficult to identify harmful products. More than 40 global experts have also termed the IIM-Ahmedabad study as flawed in design and interpretation.
There are several other labeling systems in the world, such as “warning labels” in Chile (which uses black octagons or stop symbols) and Israel (a red label) for products high in sugar, salt and fat. The ‘Nutri-Score’, used in France, presents a chromatic scale from A to E, and the multiple traffic lights (MTL) used in the UK and other countries are red (high), amber (medium) or green. (following) shows. ) lights to indicate risk factors. Global studies have shown that the warning label is the only format that has made a positive impact on the purchase of food and beverages, for example in Chile, prompting the industry to reformulate its products to remove large amounts of sugar and salt. is forced.
what happens next?
FSSAI is expected to put up its draft rules on the front of the package publicly for comments from all stakeholders. A scientific panel consisting of independent experts from FSSAI will study these observations and make their proposal. Thereafter, it will go to a scientific committee, the FSSAI and the health ministry before the rules are tabled in Parliament.
The debate over front-of-package labeling has once again raised questions about the industry’s influence on the food regulator. According to George Cherian, member of FSSAI as Director and Special Invitee, CUTS International, the stakeholder meetings are dominated by the industry. Many others, too, have called for the need for the industry to “insulate” policy decisions.