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NEW DELHI: As India’s food regulator nears introduction of warnings signs on packaged foods, a survey conducted by community platform LocalCircles revealed that seven in 10 Indians are in favour of red warning signs on food products containing high amount of fat, sugar, and salt.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is set to roll out health star rating (HSR). The rating, to be printed on the front of the package, will rank a packaged food item based on salt, sugar, and fat content.
LocalCircles conducted a national survey to gauge public perception on whether warning sign should mandated on packaged food products which contain high sugar, salt and fat content.
The survey received more than 11,000 responses from consumers across 382 districts of India.
Of those surveyed, 31% of consumers said they favoured a red warning sign on foods with high sugar, salt and fat content while 20% said every product should have a star rating based on contents. Nearly 40% preferred the presence of a red sign on such products and sought green or orange labels on other healthy products. Only 8% of those surveyed were against any form of labelling on food packs.
“Many consumers believe that the young, under the age of 25, are the top consumers of packaged and processed foods and pointed that awareness about whether it is a red, orange or green food will go a long way in they understanding what it means over time and making informed choices," the survey said.
Introduction of health star rating could also prompt packaged foods companies to transition to healthier foods.
The HSR rates foods on a five-star scale based on energy, saturated fat, sodium, total sugar, and other health aspects of the food such as protein and natural ingredients.
FSSAI has decided to go ahead with a new star rating system for packaged foods and beverages, despite criticism from consumer activist groups and food experts. Some consumer groups claim that such a rating system can be easily manipulated by the industry. Food experts have instead called for the need to have direct warning labels on packs.