| PFA 5th AMENDMENT RULES 2008 INTRODUCE TERM “NON – NUTRITIVE FOOD” WITHOUT EXPLANATION. - Ramesh Ku |
|---|
| Posted on Tue 03 Feb 2009 by admin (570 reads) |
|
PFA 5th AMENDMENT RULES 2008 INTRODUCE TERM “NON – NUTRITIVE FOOD” WITHOUT EXPLANATION. MANY JUNK AND TRADITIONAL FOODS REQUIRE STATUTORY WARNING “NON- NUTRITIVE” INSTEAD OF NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION Currently the notification G.S.R 664(E) published in the Gazette of India, extra-ordinary, part II, section 3(i), and released by G.Balachandran, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 19th September 2008 is being discussed among food products manufacturers who want to know which type of nutritional information is to be printed on the labels of a food product and in which cases it is not necessary. The new PFA 5th amendment rules likely to come into force from 19th March 2009 vide the notification, stipulate that all ingredients in packed food product must be listed in a descending order in terms of weight or volume. Significantly, the label of food products must also include the nutritional profile such as its energy value in kcal; the amount of protein, carbohydrates, including sugar and fat in grams; and any other nutrient for which nutrition claim or health claim is made like “rich in vitamins, fibers and potassium minerals” or “cholesterol , saturated fat and trans fat free” in metric units. However exemption from printing nutritional information on label has been granted to the food articles that belong to raw agricultural commodity or are non-nutritive in nature or are served for immediate consumption. The rules also lay down that a fruit juice, squash, beverage that does not contain a specified amount of a fruit juice or pulp cannot be described as a fruit product. Therefore, an item that contains only fruit flavours must make a mention of Added (Name of fruit ) Flavour on the label. The amendments made in “rule 32, clause (b) paragraph (2) list ingredients, sub- clause (vi) provided that (a)” are related to a provision of some exemption from printing nutritional information on the labels of certain food products. This particular sub-clause of rule 32 maintains that, “ the nutritional information may not be necessary, in case of foods such as raw agricultural commodities, like, wheat, rice, cereals, spices, spice mixes, herbs, condiments, table salt, sugar, jaggery, or non-nutritive products, like, soluble tea, coffee, soluble coffee, coffee-chicory, mixture, packaged drinking water, packaged mineral water, alcoholic beverages or fruit and vegetables, processed and pre-packaged assorted vegetables, fruits, vegetables and products that comprise of single ingredient, pickles, papad or foods, served from immediate consumption such as served in hospitals, hotels or by food services vendors or halwais, or food shipped in bulk which is not for sale in that form to consumers” The rationale behind exemption from printing nutritional information on labels of raw agricultural commodities, non-nutritive products or immediate consumption products is quite understandable. But the term “ non-nutritive products” covering very low calorie products, unusual calorie source or alcoholic products, single ingredient products and imbalanced diet products (containing very high fat, salt, sugar etc.) has been introduced without any explanation. In India a number of territorial traditional foods like Snacks (Bhujia, Namkeen, Khara, Farsan, Chanachur ), Desi sweetmeats and syrups that claim for taste only and not for nutrition or health at all, exist in the market. Therefore if all the traditional foods that contain high amount of fat or salt or sugar be treated as non-nutritive and hence liable for grant of exemption from printing of nutritional information on labels as granted to pickles and papad , it would be more reasonable and lead to a uniformly applicable law. Not only the junk foods but the traditional foods too particularly fried items including both snacks and sweets contain high enough fat and salt or sugar contents and so may be harmful for a number of people particularly hypertensive and diabetic patients or prone to be affected of such diseases in future. The doctors too advise patients to avoid such foods. Therefore any nutritional information regarding fat, carbohydrate , protein, salt and sugar contents on the labels of traditional foods would be misleading to consumers. To print “Non- Nutritive” instead of misleading nutritional information, as a statutory warning, would be more beneficial to consumers. Thus exemption from printing of nutritional information on labels of traditional foods particularly sweets, snacks and syrups which don’t make any nutritional claim, would cut unnecessary cost and reduce the burden on consumers’ pockets too. RAMESH KUMAR SHARMA, BIKANER, INDIA |
| Index :: Print :: E-mail |
