FSSAI Hosts National Consultation to Strengthen Food Labelling, Ads, and Claims Rules

The consultation aimed to ensure that India’s food labelling and advertising rules not only protect consumers but also support fair competition and innovation in the food sector.

In a major push to bolster India’s food safety regulations, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, convened a National Stakeholder Consultation on “Comprehensive Analysis of Regulatory Framework on Food Labelling, Advertisement and Claims” at Vigyan Bhawan. The event gathered around 700 participants from government bodies, industry, academia, consumer groups, and state food safety authorities to assess current rules, address challenges in enforcement, and explore alignment with global best practices.

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Focus on Consumer Protection, Public Health, and Industry Innovation

The consultation aimed to ensure that India’s food labelling and advertising rules not only protect consumers but also support fair competition and innovation in the food sector. By bringing together diverse stakeholders—ranging from line ministries to industry associations and farmer groups—FSSAI sought to create a regulatory framework that is both practical and public health-oriented.

Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, inaugurated the event, stressing that in a rapidly evolving globalised food market, India must adopt ethical, truthful, and transparent practices.

“We are now exposed to the entire world, which means we must adopt positive changes and best practices, while scrutinising food products more closely. In this fast-moving world, consultations like this are vital,” she said.

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Call for Honest Declarations and Ethical Advertising

Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, urged industry leaders to ensure that food labels serve as trust-building tools, not just marketing devices.

“Food labelling should be treated as the most essential factor of trust between a manufacturer and a consumer. We want truthful and honest declarations of whatever is contained in the product, leaving the consumer to make the final choice,” she emphasised.

She cautioned against misleading advertisements and manipulative marketing practices, calling for a collective responsibility to safeguard consumer interests.

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Need for Stronger Scrutiny of Claims

Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, stressed that health and nutrition claims in food advertising require rigorous, independent validation.

He praised FSSAI’s decision to implement all label changes and related regulations only once a year—on 1 July—calling it a “major step” towards predictability and reduced uncertainty for the industry.

Shri Prabhat, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, highlighted the public health risks of false claims and called for strict accountability mechanisms in advertising.

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Technical Sessions and Case Studies

The event featured:

• Session 1: Overview of Global and Indian Regulatory Framework on Food Labelling, Advertisement and Claims – examining how India’s rules compare with international standards from bodies like Codex Alimentarius.

• Session 2: From Claims to Compliance – FSSAI-led enforcement case studies showing the transition from identifying misleading claims to achieving compliance.

These sessions were followed by an interactive dialogue, enabling industry representatives, regulators, and experts to brainstorm solutions for challenges such as:

• Monitoring digital and social media food advertisements.

• Standardising health and nutrition claims.

• Strengthening enforcement at state and district levels.

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Actionable Outcomes and Next Steps

The consultation resulted in recommendations for:

• Enhancing truthfulness and clarity in labels and advertisements.

• Creating industry guidelines for responsible marketing.

• Increasing consumer awareness campaigns.

• Introducing technology-driven monitoring of online and offline claims.

• Strengthening collaboration between central and state authorities.

FSSAI emphasised that this dialogue is part of a series of national-level consultations aimed at refining sector-specific policies with ground-level insights.

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Leadership Presence

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

By aligning with international norms, strengthening domestic enforcement, and promoting transparent practices, FSSAI aims to make India’s food labelling framework a model that ensures consumer trust, public health, and fair market practices.