Latest news with #NAPi
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Govt drive against misleading food product ads a non-starter: RTI reply
NEW DELHI: The Centre's two key ministries and a department, which are tasked with monitoring and regulating misleading advertisements and false claims about food products, have failed to detect any such promotions in the past two years, a series of RTIs have revealed. This is despite the fact that the Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a national think tank on nutrition consisting of independent medical experts, paediatricians, and nutritionists, said they have spotted a number of such misleading advertisements on a daily basis in electronic and print media and, of late, social media, too. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry, which plays a crucial role in regulating and monitoring advertisements, replied in the negative in an RTI reply to a question on which food product ads they have identified as misleading between September 2023 and March 2025 under the Advertising Code (Rule 7) under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. In its reply, the I&B ministry said that, according to readily available records, no food product advertisements were identified as misleading between September 2023 and March 2025 under the rules, and so the question of taking action 'doesn't arise.' Similarly, the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution ministry was asked the same question, and their reply was 'the required information is not available.'
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Activists accuse food regulator of stalling on-pack labelling regulation
Representative image Public health advocates have accused the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ( FSSAI ) of delaying tactics as it has sought three more months for its expert committee to finalise its report on front of pack nutritional labelling (FOPNL) regulation. The Supreme Court had in April directed that the exercise be completed in three months. This was after FSSAI failed to finalise the amendments two and a half years after the draft regulation was made public in September 2022 and comments were sought from all stakeholders and the public. Front of Pack labelling was proposed in 2014 by an expert committee constituted by FSSAI on the order of the Delhi High court. The order came on a public interest petition seeking labelling and a ban on sale of junk food in schools. Eleven years later, it is still hanging fire. Last week (July 7) FSSAI filed an application seeking extension of time to comply with the SC order passed on April 9. The application revealed that the FSSAI had organised stakeholder consultations with food business operators and other concerned stakeholders across four regions –Delhi Goa, Hyderabad and Kolkata— in May 2025. 'During the consultation sessions, stakeholders shared their views and comments on the draft regulations related to Front-Of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL)' stated the application, adding that such meetings were 'essential feedback to the draft regulation' and needed to be placed before the expert committee. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Các chỉ số toàn cầu đang biến động — Đã đến lúc giao dịch! IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a think tank on nutrition, has issued a statement questioning the meetings being organized by FSSAI with the industry when all stakeholders were given an equal opportunity to give their feedback when the draft was made public on September 13, 2022 and comments were invited. According to the FSSAI it received 14,000 comments and constituted an expert committee on February 17, 2023 to analyse the public feedback on the draft amendment notification. 'Why should the FSSAI begin a new process? Why these new invitees for comments could not give their comments when these were invited in September 2022?' asked NAPi in its statement adding that FSSAI had already ensured freedom from any regulation on FOPNL for almost three years for the food industry by delaying the finalising of the amendments. In response to RTI queries, the FSSAI has refused to make public the 14,000 comments it received from stakeholders and the public citing 'commercial confidence', indicating that the industry had already given its feedback. Its application seeking an extension stated that the draft report of the expert committee's recommendations was ready. NAPi questioned why the report was not being made public when it was ready even before the Supreme Court had ordered for the exercise to be completed in three months. FOPL, acknowledged globally as an effective policy measure to help consumers make healthier choices and reduce consumption of ultra-processed food, has been fought hard by the food industry worried about falling sales. However, with research repeatedly establishing that processed foods with high sugar, salt and fat and low fibre content are linked to rising incidence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart ailments, and certain cancers, many countries have adopted FOPL. The FSSAI's extension application also indicates that even after the expert committee's report is submitted, it could take months before any regulation is finalized with several stages to be gone through.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Experts urge Centre to implement mandatory warning labels on packaged foods
A collective of public health experts, scientists, legal professionals, and consumer rights advocates on June 3, 2025 issued a renewed call to the Central government to adopt mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on food and beverage products high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS). The demand was made during a virtual press conference convened to launch a national Position Statement on Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL). The event, organised by the Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), brought together more than 25 health and civil society organisations that have endorsed the Position Statement. The context for the conference was the Supreme Court's observation during a hearing in April 2025 on a public interest litigation concerning misleading food packaging and inadequate labelling practices. The Court noted that several widely consumed packaged food products, lacked clear front-of-pack information regarding their health risks. It directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to revise and finalise its pending 2022 draft regulation on FOPNL within a three-month timeframe. The Position Statement presented at the conference calls for the immediate implementation of interpretive warning labels on HFSS products to enable informed consumer choices and stem the growing tide of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India. K. Srinath Reddy, former president of the Public Health Foundation of India, highlighted the dangers of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), likening their health claims to the paradox of breathing polluted air. 'Saying ultra-processed food gives nutrients is like saying polluted air also gives oxygen,' he said. Speakers Arun Gupta, National Convener of NAPi, elaborated on India's regulatory delays and called for a policy that reflects global health standards. Chandrakant Lahariya of the Foundation for People-centric Health Systems, presented scientific findings from India, reiterating that HFSS foods are directly linked to the rise in lifestyle diseases. Diabetologist Banshi Saboo highlighted the alarming increase in diabetes and obesity, stating that consumer choices are heavily influenced by deceptive packaging and unregulated health claims. Ashim Sanyal, chief operating cfficer at VOICE( Voluntary Organisation in Interest of Consumer Education) addressed the issue of label literacy and the confusion caused by star-based or traffic light labelling systems, while senior advocates M.R. Rajendran Nair and Rajiv Shankar Dvivedi detailed the Supreme Court's observations in the ongoing PIL seeking stricter food labelling regulations. Call for WHO-alinged nutrient profiling model In India, a multi-state trial conducted in 2022 by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai and CMR - NIN in India with over 2,800 participants showed that warning labels outperformed all other forms of labelling in enabling consumers to identify unhealthy products. A separate study by ICMR-NIN confirmed that brief exposure to such labels led to measurable changes in purchasing decisions. Speakers also discussed the Indian Nutrition Rating (INR), a star-based system proposed by the FSSAI, saying that it fails to alert consumers about health risks. Instead, they pointed out, it creates a 'health halo' around processed food products that should be avoided, not encouraged. Drawing on international examples, the panel referred to Chile's use of black octagonal warning labels that state 'High in Sugar,' 'High in Salt,' or 'High in Fat.' The introduction of these labels resulted in a 24 % drop in sugary beverage consumption within the first year of implementation. Mexico adopted similar warning labels after years of rising obesity. These systems are based on nutrient profiling models recommended by the WHO, and they have shown that clear, interpretive warnings are more effective than numeric or star-based labels in influencing consumer behaviour and industry practices. Crucially, the Statement calls for the Indian government to safeguard labelling laws from being weakened in international trade negotiations, such as the ongoing India–UK Free Trade Agreement.
.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26ar%3D40%253A21%26auto%3Dformat%252Ccompress%26ogImage%3Dtrue%26mode%3Dcrop%26enlarge%3Dtrue%26overlay%3Dfalse%26overlay_position%3Dbottom%26overlay_width%3D100&w=3840&q=100)
New Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Having too many sugary sodas, packaged snacks may speed up early signs of Parkinson's disease: Study
NEW DELHI: Eating too much processed food, like sugary sodas, cookies, and packaged snacks, might speed up early signs of Parkinson's disease, according to a latest study. The researchers said the latest study is part of the 'growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson's disease.' According to Dr Arun Gupta, Pediatrician and Convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a national think-tank on nutrition consisting of independent medical experts, paediatricians, and nutritionists, there is growing evidence regarding the ill-effects of ultra-processed food products, which are always high in fat, sugar or salt. 'What is stopping the government from acting sharply and urgently to ban advertising at least, which is leading to overconsumption,' he asked. The study, published online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, looked for signs of prodromal Parkinson's disease, the earliest stage when neurodegeneration begins. Still, more characteristic symptoms of Parkinson's disease, like tremors, balance problems, and slow movement, have not yet begun. These early symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) -- a brain condition that causes problems with movement, mental health, sleep, pain and other health issues -- can begin years or even decades before the typical symptoms start. 'Eating a healthy diet is crucial as it has been associated with a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases and the dietary choices we make today can significantly influence our brain health in the future,' said study author Xiang Gao, a distinguished professor and dean of the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai, China. 'There's growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson's disease. Our research shows that eating too much processed food, like sugary sodas and packaged snacks, might be speeding up early signs of Parkinson's disease.' Researchers looked at several types of ultra-processed foods, including sauces, spreads, or condiments; packaged sweets; snacks or desserts; artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; animal-based products; yoghurt or dairy-based desserts; and packaged savoury snacks. One serving was equivalent to a single can of soda, one ounce of potato chips, one slice of packaged cake, a single hot dog or one tablespoon of ketchup.
