Health Ministry clarifies no warning labels for samosa and jalebi

Union Health Ministry clarifies advisory urging awareness about fats and sugars in food, but no directive for warning labels on specific products like samosas or jalebis.

The Union health ministry on Tuesday said it was not against India’s rich street food culture and its call to display boards mentioning sugar and oil content in snacks, like samosa and jalebi, was just a behavioural nudge, and not a warning.

 

The ministry said that the move was a “behavioural nudge” to make people aware about hidden fats and excess sugar in all food products and not specifically to any particular food product. 

“The health ministry advisory does not direct warning labels on food products sold by vendors, and has not been selective towards Indian snacks,” the ministry said in a statement. 

 

It added that the government does not intend to target India’s rich street food culture. 

 

The ministry clarified that it has not directed carrying of any warning labels on food products, just days after the Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava wrote to all government departments advising them to display oil and sugar boards in their offices.

 

“It advises about the display of boards in various workplaces such as lobbies, canteens, cafeterias and meeting rooms to raise awareness on harmful consumption of hidden fats

and excess sugar in various food items,” the ministry said in its clarification.

 

In a letter dated June 21, the health secretary had also issued directions to all departments, offices and autonomous bodies under all ministries to print health messages on all official stationery and publications, along with promoting healthy meals and physical activity through healthier food options.      

 

“The health ministry advisory does not direct warning labels on food products sold by vendors, and has not been selective towards Indian snacks,” the ministry said.

 

This advisory, the letter states, was shared to promote healthy lifestyles and combat obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

 

According to the Lancet GBD 2021 obesity forecasting study, the number of overweight and obese adults in India is projected to rise from 1.8 crore in 2021 to 44.9 crore in 2050, making it the country with the world’s second highest global burden.

 

The oil and sugar board initiative is part of the ministry’s flagship initiatives under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD).