FSSAI to ask restaurants to display sugar, oil info to curb obesity

The development comes in line with growing obesity numbers in India, with a recent Lancet study projecting over 440 million obese and overweight people by 2050

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is likely to issue an advisory urging restaurants and hotels to display information on food ingredients such as sugar and oil in their dishes, in a move aimed at combating India’s obesity crisis, Mint reported on Wednesday, quoting a government official.

 

“FSSAI is likely to put an advisory for hotels and restaurants to display sugar and oil boards at their respective outlets," the official said, adding that the initiative is designed to make consumers more aware of calorie intake and forms part of wider efforts to address obesity.

 

Another official said: “We are conveying the message to some of the food businesses operational to implement the same. However, the initiatives of displaying sugar and oil boards at restaurants and hotels will be a voluntary step.”

 

 

The official added that such measures would also demonstrate how food businesses are cooperating with the government’s push to reduce obesity, a key driver of non-communicable diseases.

 

India’s obesity challenge

The move comes amid rising obesity levels in India. A recent Lancet study projected that more than 440 million people in the country will be obese or overweight by 2050.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged the issue in his speeches earlier this year, urging citizens to adopt healthier lifestyles and dietary habits. In his Independence Day address, he called on families to reduce their cooking oil usage by 10 per cent, linking individual lifestyle choices to national well-being.

 

Follow-up measures from FSSAI

In May, the FSSAI asked States and Union Territories to intensify efforts in line with the Prime Minister’s call for urgent action against obesity. It directed them to expand public awareness campaigns and introduce concrete initiatives, including a 10 per cent cut in oil consumption, to promote healthier living and move towards an obesity-free nation.