New Delhi: The government has tightened scrutiny on packaged food companies, directing them to discontinue claims of 100% on food labels, packaging and promotional content. It has termed such claims as "misleading to consumers, and ambiguous and prone to misinterpretation".
In a May 28 advisory, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said "the term 100% is not defined or referenced in any manner under the Food Safety Act".
The term 100% is "likely to convey false sense of absolute purity or superiority potentially leading consumers to believe that competing products in the market do not comply with prescribed standards," read the advisory, a copy of which was seen by ET.
Many brands currently sell products such as chocolates, tea, honey, biscuits, and protein powders, displaying claims such as "100% sugar free, with millets, oats," the advisory further said.
"Such guidelines are beneficial for consumers and would help to weed out misleading claims. However, implementation is key and brands that make genuine claims should not be penalised under the 100% guideline," said a senior executive at a leading packaged snacks maker.
The food regulator's directive is aimed at curbing misleading marketing practices and to ensure consumers get accurate information about food products. The FSSAI said its regulations "strictly prohibit" any ads or claims that undermine other companies or influence consumer perception in a misleading manner. It further said as per...
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