FSSAI advises QR code in food labels for visually impaired people

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed food business operators to incorporate provisions such as QR codes in food labels to facilitate easy access of nutritional information for the visually impaired.

The recent directive emphasised on QR code as an effective means to achieve this.

“These QR codes should encompass comprehensive details about the product including but not limited to ingredients, nutritional information, allergens, manufacturing date, best-before, expiry, use-by dates, allergen warning and content information for customer enquiry,” the Fssai said.

The advisory also stressed that inclusion of a QR code does not replace or negate the requirement to provide mandatory information on the product label as prescribed by regulations.

“The Fssai is committed to ensuring access to safe food for the citizens of India including individuals with special needs such as visually impaired individuals,” the advisory said.