The End of Easy Promises
For years, shoppers have been guided by bold claims on the front of food packages. Words like “100% Pure,” “All Natural,” “Healthy,” and “No Added Sugar” often influence purchasing decisions. However, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
is intensifying its scrutiny of these very claims, arguing they can be ambiguous and mislead consumers. The regulator has recently issued notices to multiple brands for using terms that suggest a level of purity or health benefit that isn't scientifically defined or verifiable under current food laws. This crackdown signals a significant shift: instead of relying on marketing buzzwords, the focus is moving to the factual, fine-print details found on the nutrition information panel.
Why Front-of-Pack Claims Fail
The problem with front-of-pack claims is that they tell an incomplete story. A product labelled “low-fat” might be loaded with sugar to improve its taste. A juice that claims to be “100% Natural” could be made from concentrate and contain added sugars. FSSAI has taken action against brands for these kinds of discrepancies, questioning claims like “no added sugar” when products are sweetened with date powder or fruit concentrates, which are still forms of sugar. Similarly, terms like “Heart Pro” or even the word “Healthy” in a brand name have come under the scanner for creating an impression of health benefits that may not be substantiated. This regulatory push aims to close the gap between how a product is marketed and what it actually contains.
The Power Is in the Panel
FSSAI is effectively telling consumers to “flip the pack.” The nutrition panel on the back is where the truth lies, but it requires some decoding. By law, all packaged foods in India must display key information per 100g or per serving. This includes energy (calories), protein, total fat (with a breakdown of saturated and trans fats), and total carbohydrates (with a breakdown of sugars). The single most important—and often trickiest—part of the label is the “serving size.” Companies define this themselves, and it’s often much smaller than what a person typically consumes. A packet of biscuits might list calories for a serving of just two biscuits, even if most people eat half the pack. Experts advise always checking the “per 100g” column to make a fair comparison between different products.
A Smarter Shopper's Checklist
To make informed choices, consumers should focus on a few key numbers on the nutrition panel. Pay close attention to added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium (salt). The list of ingredients is another crucial tool; it’s listed in descending order by weight, so the first few ingredients make up the bulk of the product. If sugar or refined flour is at the top of the list, it's a red flag. This renewed focus on the back panel comes as discussions around a mandatory Front-of-Pack Labelling (FoPL) system continue. For years, there has been a push for a simple, interpretive system, like colour-coded dots or star ratings, to quickly show if a product is high in fat, sugar, or salt (HFSS). While that framework is still being finalised, the current scrutiny empowers consumers to use the tools they already have.
