Health authorities to collect samples and conduct tests
In an attempt to regulate misleading advertisements by companies that promise moon but deliver little, health authorities will start collecting samples at random and conduct tests in the Food Safety Laboratory in Hyderabad. The quality analysis reports will be directly uploaded in the government website to help consumers make an informed choice.
The move to frequently collect random samples of food and other edible products from companies is part of a drive of health authorities to spread awareness on food safety. The aim is also to penalise companies that come up with misleading advertisements.
“Public are not aware about the existence of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The Act empowers us to regulate misleading advertisements. We want to popularise this Act by spreading awareness. Close to 1,000 random samples will be collected for testing. The results will be uploaded in our website,” Food Safety Commissioner, Praveen Prakash said.
In a first salvo of sorts to curb such false claims, Mr. Praveen Prakash has also served notices on well known edible oil and food companies - Gemini Edibles and Fats Private Ltd for the claim of zero percent cholesterol in ‘Freedom Refined Sunflower Oil’, Health Heart Foods, Timmapur for claiming that their brand ‘Healthy Heart Sunflower Oil’ reduces cholesterol.
Hi-Tech Malto Max Foods, Himachal Pradesh, which has claimed that its product helps reduce cholesterol, improves digestion, is low fat and has stress relievers. Notices were also issued on Heinz India, Mumbai for advertising that its product ‘Complan’ has 34 vital nutrients and eight enriched with food products.
Under Section 53 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, individuals who publish advertisements that falsely describe food and are likely to mislead or give false guarantees to public are liable to a penalty up to Rs. 10 lakh. “There are large numbers of food products that claim a lot but do not have scientific basis,” Mr. Praveen Prakash said.
Officials familiar with issue said that very soon the Central Government is also likely to come up with legislations and an inter-ministerial group to regulate such misleading claims. “The companies have come together to set up Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to self regulate, but there has been no success,” officials rued. The test results from Food Safety Laboratory will be hosted in cfw.ap.nin.in and aphealthorders.co.in.
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