FSSAI brings out new norms on advt to stop false claims
- Shifting from its past position, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has allowed food and beverage companies to use words like “natural”, “fresh”, “pure” and “real” in their brand names, but with a disclaimer.
- Notified last week, the FSSAI’s new rules on food advertisement not only prepare the ground for food inspectors to act, but also bear testimony to the subtle shift in the food regulator’s initial position on the use of such deceptive words in order to avoid conflict with another government agency.
- In the draft released last year, the FSSAI stated food business operators could not use words or phrases such as “natural”, “fresh”, “original”, “traditional”, “premium”, “finest”, “best”, “authentic”, “genuine” and “real” on the food labels except under specific conditions.
- For instance, foods can be called “fresh” only if they are not processed in any manner except washed, peeled chilled, trimmed or cut or have undergone other processing necessary for making the product safe without altering its basic characteristic in any manner.
- Similarly, the word “natural” is to be permitted only for food derived from a plant, animal, micro-organism or mineral and to which nothing has been added.
