Food authority to set up 12-member team to curb 'misleading' ads

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to set up a 12-member committee, comprising industry bodies and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, to devise norms to deter companies from placing “misleading” advertisements.

The committee will be represented by bodies like the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) and FMCG firms, including Kellogg’s, Marico, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), GlaxoSmithKline and Heinz.

The food authority is taking this step in response to a recommendation by ASCI which has introduced certain codes on advertising in the FMCG space to counter the ‘false claims’ made by various companies in their advertisements. “Advertisements must not mislead consumers and FSSAI is now going to add some codes and amendments in order to implement our (ASCI) guidelines,” says Alan Colaco, secretary general, ASCI.

Colaco notes that advertisements will be now based on the guidelines given by FSSAI’s technical team which will define the limits of fat, sugar and sodium content in various processed foods. The FSSAI is now ready to follow the internationally-set codex limits for these particular ingredients. “This is being done in order to regulate and monitor the tall claims that are being made by various consumer companies, including some very prominent players,” he said.

An FSSAI official says the code on advertising of foods and beverages prohibits companies from depicting personal changes in intelligence, physical ability or exceptional recognition unless scientifically substantiated. The code further states that nutritional and health benefit claims in food and beverage advertisements are required to be substantiated scientifically, including food products nutritionally designed as a meal replacement.

Recently, FMCG major HUL was in the spotlight for allegedly violating these norms. HUL claimed that its children’s malted beverage brand, Amazem, gave a child 33 per cent of the key brain nutrients required on a daily basis. FSSAI had set up a committee to examine the matter.