Leading packaged food firm Orkla India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Sharma has supported the sectoral watchdog FSSAI’s proposed front-of-pack labelling norms, saying consumers have every right to know the nutritional details of the products they buy.
Responding to PTI over a query on front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) initiatives, Sharma said the industry is aligned with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) intent to empower consumers to make informed choices as awareness levels continue to rise.
Consumers deserve greater information about the products they consume, and the food industry is fully supportive of the food regulator FSSAI’s push in this direction, said Sharma, who is engaged with industry body CII on this issue.
“As an industry, I can tell you that the industry is very much with the regulator in this space where we want to ensure that, as the knowledge levels among consumers are rising, we should ensure that we give all the information to the consumers to make a thoughtful choice about the products that they are consuming,” Sharma told PTI.
Sharma said rising consumer awareness makes it important to provide adequate information to help consumers make informed choices about the products they consume.
On Friday, the Supreme Court asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which has proposed phased implementation of front-of-package labelling (FoPL) on packaged foods, to come up with more clarifications on the planned labels of “nutrients of concern”, fat, sugar and salt.
He said the point of contention was not the principle of labelling but its format and implementation, adding that the industry has made “a lot of consultations and submissions” to FSSAI on the issue.
The broader industry is supportive of the initiative, while discussions continue on the format and implementation of the proposed labels, said Sharma, who is already engaged with industry body CII on this issue.
“The industry is (ready) for the entire thing. The question is what should be the label and how should it be done,” Sharma said, noting that the industry has made several submissions to the regulator on the matter.
Orkla India, part of the Norwegian conglomerate Orkla ASA, is a leading packed food company here.
It owns household brands such as MTR, Rasoi Magic and Eastern, with a play in convenience foods such as ready-to-cook (RTC), ready-to-eat (RTE) meals, vermicelli, as well as in the blended and pure spices space.
Noting that the FOPL matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court, with FSSAI having submitted its recommendations, the Orkla India chief said he did not wish to “second guess” the apex court’s eventual view.
He, however, underlined that FSSAI’s standard regulatory process should ideally be followed for a matter of this nature.
“The standard process is to come out with a draft, do consultations with the industry, with the consumer bodies which take care of consumer interest, with all people who are concerned with regulations, with the WTO… and eventually get notified as legislation,” he said.
Draft food regulations must be notified to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) before final notification, in line with India’s international trade obligations.
“I do hope that those processes will be followed,” Sharma added.
FSSAI’s proposed FOPL regulations seek to mandate labels on packaged food indicating levels of sugar, salt and fat, aimed at helping consumers identify products high in these components.
