The Crux of the New Directives
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is enforcing stricter rules on how food companies can market their products. The primary regulations governing this are the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018,
and the (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. These rules are designed to prevent the use of ambiguous and potentially misleading terms that suggest health benefits or a product quality that cannot be verified. The regulator's recent actions, including issuing notices to major brands, signal a move from simply having rules on paper to active enforcement. The goal is to ensure that the label on a package accurately reflects the true nature of the food inside.
Why This Crackdown is Necessary
For years, consumers have navigated a confusing landscape of food marketing. A juice could be labelled 'fresh' despite being processed, or a snack loaded with sugar substitutes might claim 'no added sugar'. FSSAI found that many claims were not just exaggerations but were creating a false impression of nutritional superiority. For example, terms like "natural" are now restricted to single-ingredient foods that have only undergone minimal physical processing. "Pure" can generally only be used for single-ingredient products with nothing added. This crackdown was prompted by growing concerns that consumers were being misled into making choices they believed were healthy but weren't, undermining public health efforts.
What 'Fresh,' 'Natural,' and 'Pure' Really Mean
Under FSSAI's regulations, these common marketing terms now have specific conditions attached. A product cannot be called 'fresh' if it has undergone any process, like pasteurisation or processing, that extends its shelf life. The term 'natural' is reserved for foods that are largely unprocessed. Similarly, a brand cannot use a term like '100% Pure' on a compound product, as it can be misleading. FSSAI has recently taken action against companies using '100%' claims for products like honey and coconut milk, arguing they are ambiguous and unverifiable. If a brand name itself contains one of these terms (e.g., "Nature's Best Cookies"), it must now carry a disclaimer on the front of the pack stating that the name doesn't represent the product's true nature.
The Impact on Your Grocery Shopping
For consumers, this means greater transparency and the ability to make genuinely informed choices. You will start seeing changes on labels, with misleading words disappearing and more straightforward descriptions appearing. Brands are already revising their packaging; for instance, a 'no added sugar' claim is being replaced with 'sweetened with dates' to be more specific and honest. This shift empowers you to look past marketing buzzwords and focus on the mandatory declarations, such as the ingredient list, nutritional information per 100g, and allergen warnings, which are the real indicators of a product's composition.
What It Means for Food Companies
Food businesses are now under pressure to ensure their marketing aligns with the actual product. Non-compliance comes with hefty penalties. Misleading advertisements can attract fines of up to ₹10 lakh, while selling misbranded goods can lead to a penalty of up to ₹3 lakh. In some cases, FSSAI can also order product recalls and suspend licenses. Recently, FSSAI ordered a major company, Dabur, to immediately stop the sale of several products with '100%' claims and submit a compliance report. While companies face the operational costs of redesigning labels and managing inventory, the long-term effect is a more level playing field where honest marketing is rewarded.
