India Pharma Outlook Team | Thursday, 14 August 2025
The Food Industry has been requested by the Central Government to maintain ethical standards in food advertisement and labelling for the protection of the public health and consumers' confidence. The request emerged in a National Stakeholder Consultation on the "Comprehensive Analysis of Regulatory Framework on Food Labelling, Advertisement and Claims," convened by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
Speaking during the consultation, MoHFW Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava emphasized the adoption of good global best practices with heightened scrutiny of food products. "We are now open to the whole world, so we have to put in place good global best practices and scan food products more thoroughly," she said.
Seconding the same view, Department of Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare urged food companies to issue "honest and truthful statements" on their packaging and avoid deceptive ads. “Food labeling must be taken care of as a crucial aspect of consumer-trust with the manufacturer. The consumer's final decision should be left with him or her, with correct facts," she stressed.
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The session was responded to by about 700 participants comprising central and state governments, scientific experts, food business operators, industry associations, consumer organizations, and academics.
FSSAI authorities opined that ethical labelling is not merely a matter of regulation but also a mammoth force behind consumer confidence in India's fast-changing food culture. The talks centred on how India can strike a balance with the best world practices while resolving the country's own issues with regulating advertisement and claims.
The move is the government's determination to increasing transparency and accountability in the food industry, safeguarding consumers from making ill-informed decisions.
