Q+A: India's food safety regulator on new rules, healthier products and the industry

Pawan Kumar Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), 

India is planning to frame draft rules within a month requiring manufacturers to display the fat, sugar and salt content of products on packaging.

Reuters interviewed Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Here are edited excerpts:

What has an expert group recommended to regulate products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS)?

The expert group's report has eight recommendations - from dietary guidelines to the government nudging food businesses to review product offerings. These recommendations will have to go through a process to be implemented. For instance, the recommendation of some taxes on HFSS food, but this is something that the ministry of finance will take a call on.

What are some of the regulations planned?

Labelling requirements are under review and will now require manufacturers to provide the content in terms of sodium, saturated fat and free sugars. We should be able to finalize it within a month, then it would go to the ministry and it would go through a process.

Tell us more about the traffic light labelling proposal.

Reading labels becomes quite cumbersome, so traffic light (colour coding) is making it simple so that people can make out - red, people associate with danger; green is OK - to that extent it is a desirable thing. But there are many requirements - how do we fit all of it on a label, how to space it out.

Is there any resistance from the industry around such measures?

The industry is gearing up. Carbonated drink makers are aware of the global concern around HFSS food and they are providing variety and alternatives to their drinks. There's no pushback. In some sense, their worry is welcome. If they are in that anxiety, it is a good thing if it helps in providing healthier options to our consumers. They are looking at this trend globally. Companies are worried on that account - not about regulations but the general trend towards healthier food.

Do you think there will some broad restriction on chips or colas?

As far as healthier food choices are concerned, other than consumer education, they are not unsafe and therefore cannot be banned. It can only work through educating consumers so that they regulate consumption. We expect the food businesses to join us in such education.

How will you regulate traditional products so that big players are not discriminated?

It's a valid industry concern. We are talking to associations of traditional sweetmakers, other food makers, that they can also be more sensitive to traditional food and provide healthier options. We have received an encouraging response. Shops can educate public -- tell them to have jalebis and samosas in moderation, maybe use less salt in samosas.

Is that achievable in a country of our size?

For many of these things, we have to make a small beginning. If it catches the fancy of the masses, then why not.

What about the government's deliberations around a nationwide "fat tax"?

Taxation is not within our purview. If they are imposing taxes only on select restaurants then perhaps that's not the right thing.

Are any advertising restrictions planned?

Advertising will be part of our regulations. Even though the current act does provide for control on advertising, it is non-specific. There will be more specific provisions on [health] claims made in advertising. I don't think we are going to disallow anyone to advertise, but advertising has to be responsible.

Are other new initiatives planned to regulate such food items or businesses?

We are contemplating some kind of an index for top food businesses. Let's say the top 100 in terms of how responsive they are to safe and nutritious food and consumers in general. The matrix for the index is being developed. This will be voluntary. One of the parameters would be what percentage of their offering is nutritious. Over a period of time, we will make a dashboard and make this publicly available.

Food, drink MNCs plan fightback as India looks to tighten rules

Alarmed by rising rates of obesity and diabetes, the govt plans a nationwide ‘fat tax’, rules requiring manufacturers to display fat, sugar and salt content of products on packaging

India’s carbonated drinks sector is estimated to grow an average 3.7% annually between 2017 and 2021, while the packaged food sector will grow by 8% a year during the same period.

New Delhi: Several food and drink multinationals and trade groups met in recent weeks to discuss how to lobby more effectively against Indian proposals for higher taxes and stricter labelling rules on fatty or sugary foods, sources familiar with the talks said.

According to officials, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has begun to look closely at policy proposals under discussion since at least 2015, raising concerns over the possible impact on the $57 billion sector.

Alarmed by rising rates of obesity and diabetes, India plans to frame draft rules within a month requiring manufacturers to display the fat, sugar and salt content of products on packaging.

It is also considering a nationwide “fat tax” for so-called “junk foods”, a senior government official said, although that is unlikely to be rolled out in the near term.

Last month, executives from companies including PepsiCo , Nestle and Indian consumer firm ITC met trade groups in New Delhi to coordinate efforts and urge the government to resist pressure from health advocates, according to an industry source aware of the meeting.

The attendees, who felt their efforts to push back had been too piecemeal, talked about forming a core group to unify their message when engaging the government, the source said.

PepsiCo and Nestle in India did not comment directly on the meeting or its outcome. ITC did not respond to requests for comment.

Trade group All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA), whose members range from street vendors to global conglomerates, said two industry-wide meetings were held in February.

Its members, who also discussed ways to offer more nutritious products, plan to send a joint representation to the government and approach health and food officials to express concerns about stringent regulations.

Promising growth

The stakes are high for companies like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola , Nestle and McDonald’s, which have collectively committed billions of dollars to expand in the world’s fastest growing major economy.

India’s carbonated drinks sector is estimated to grow an average 3.7% annually between 2017 and 2021, while the packaged food sector will grow by 8% a year during the same period, Euromonitor International estimates.

Government pressure comes in various forms.

Modi recently told PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi that her company needed to focus more on public health, an aide to the prime minister said.

Separately, the prime minister’s office asked PepsiCo to outline how it would reduce sugar in beverages sold in India, the aide added.

PepsiCo did not comment on those remarks by Modi and his office. It referred Reuters to its October 2016 global commitment “to transform its portfolio and offer healthier options”. Modi’s office did not respond to an email seeking comment.

A Coca-Cola India representative referred questions on proposed regulatory changes to the Indian Beverage Association, which said their impact was “under evaluation”.

Nestle corporate affairs executive Sanjay Khajuria said the company was “working to improve the nutrient profile” of their products.

“These are complex public health issues which require (a) holistic multi-stakeholder approach and we are committed to work with authorities,” Khajuria said in an email.

The CEO of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Pawan Kumar Agarwal, welcomed industry concerns about tougher rules.

“It is a good thing if it helps in providing healthier options,” he told Reuters in an interview.

Planned regulations

The number of obese men and women in India rose to about 30 million by 2014 from 1.2 million in 1975, according to a study by British medical journal The Lancet, although the comparative figure for China was around 90 million.

Concerns about the health effects of fast food and soda drinks have been growing globally in recent years.

Mexico imposed higher taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, for example, while South Korea placed television advertising restrictions on specific food items.

But India has been slow to finalise rules on products high in fat, sugar and salt, whose consumption health advocates say urgently needs to be checked to safeguard public health.

Agarwal denied industry pressure was affecting the implementation of tighter regulations, adding that India was nudging companies to make healthier products while working on new rules.

The FSSAI is considering advertising norms to check on health claims made by companies and is working on educating consumers about the health effects of foods containing high levels of sugar or fat.

One government official said the regulator was deliberating whether disclosures about the nutritional value of food should be placed on the front of packages.

Another labelling proposal under review was a “traffic light” system, where red, yellow and green colours depict nutritional value, similar to one used in the United Kingdom.

“Traffic light is making (reading labels) simple,” Agarwal said. “Red people associate with danger, green is okay”.

But trade body AIFPA said such labelling was of no use.

“Most Indian foods will be red. So what purpose does it serve?” said the group’s president, Subodh Jindal.

Potentially more significant for major brands would be a nationwide “fat tax”, which authorities are discussing and was last year announced by the southern state of Kerala.

There, branded restaurants like McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza face a 14.5 percent tax, higher than that applied to smaller, indigenous outlets serving the same fare or Indian cuisine often high in sugar and fat.

“It makes the larger players nervous,” said an industry executive, calling the discourse on “junk food” in India discriminatory and unscientific.

McDonald’s India did not comment on the government’s discussions on a nationwide “fat tax”. Domino’s India said its spokesman was not available.

FDA faces staff shortage again

Out of 160 posts of drug inspectors across Maharashtra, only 90 have been filled so far and of the 250 food safety officer posts, only 180 have been filled

Despite vacancies being filled to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posts just five years back, the department continues to face a staff shortage.

Out of 160 posts of drug inspectors across Maharashtra, only 90 have been filled so far and of the 250 food safety officer posts, only 180 have been filled.

In Pune, the post of joint commissioner-drugs has been lying vacant for the last nine months. Out of 15 posts of drug inspectors, only nine have been filled so far. While there is a requirement of 34 food safety officers, Pune has 16 food safety officers and they are assisted by 10 others from the Pune Municipal Corporation. Five years ago, a total of 61 posts of food and drug inspectors were filled with 13 appointed in Pune division and four in Pune district.

While the staff crunch persists, several have to make do without official vehicles. At Pune, there is just one vehicle that is shared by both food safety officers and drug inspectors while in Sangli, there is no official vehicle for the FDA officer who is assisting the police investigations in the sex determination and abortion racket.

Highly-placed FDA officials pointed out that these were Class II officers. However, the drug inspectors and food safety officers have no assistance from clerical staff as there are very few who have been appointed. Drug inspectors may inspect medical shops, check records and carry out inspections but there is very little assistance in terms of filing data entry to registering cases, issuing show cause notices and then follow up each case in the court, FDA officials said.

Across the state, there are more than 50,000 pharmacies, 15,000 wholesalers and another 8,000 manufacturing units. FDA officials admitted that some works get delayed. For instance, online applications from persons wanting to set up a medical store and such cases have to be kept on hold as they have to visit the site and send the inspection report to the assistant commissioner.

FDA officials said officers had previously been recruited to various posts in 1997. Owing to staff shortage, the FDA could only play a limited role and partly fulfil several requirements to enforce several Acts such as nabbing offenders for smoking in public places.

The FDA had to fill up the posts as some public interest litigations were filed, sources said. When contacted Dr Harshadeep Kamble, Commissioner, FDA told The Indian Express that there was a staff shortage. “The MPSC has conducted exams and held interviews and we expect vacancies to be filled soon,” Kamble said.

Eateries serving stale food come under scanner in Kottayam

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KOTTAYAM: In the wake of unhygienic eateriesfunctioning in the district and reports of excess rates being charged, district collector C A Latha issued strict directions to officials to keep a check on the eateries.

The district-level food advisory committee meeting held at the Civil Station on Wednesday, the collector directed the officials to ensure that the eateries and bakeries display the price list of food items as per the Essential Commodities Act. She has also directed the officials to take stringent action against those who charge excess rates.

She also directed the officials to examine whether any harmful ingredients harmful are added. A special squad comprising civil supplies, food safety, health, local self-government and legal metrology departments will be formed for this. She also issued direction to the police and revenue departments to extend necessary support for these inspections. Raids will be conducted in vegetable, fish and meat markets to ensure that they function under hygienic conditions. If excessive usage of chemicals and preservatives and fertilisers are found in the food items strict action will be taken. The members of the food advisory committee will be issued identity cards.

A nine-year-old boy was taken ill due to food poisoning after eating from a vegetarian restaurant 'Salkara' in Ettumanur. The hotel was closed down by the municipal authorities on Tuesday evening. The health department officials found stale food during inspection.

The health committee of the municipality conducted a raid in all the eateries in the municipal region after the father of the boy filed a complaint. Samples of food and water from the eateries have been sent for lab tests and action will be taken after getting the reports, said municipal authorities. The Kottayam municipality will also be conducting raids in the coming days.

BMC and Food safety standards check this out

Satish Deshpande | Metro Jb Nagar Station 

This wada Pav stall has recently popped up on andheri Kurla road opp. Sangam cinema occupying parking space and violating FSSAI standards by cooking on the road.. many such stalls have established below JB nagar metro station also.

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Nagaland bans sale of junk food inside schools

Sale of junk food including chips, soft drinks and fried foods are banned both within the school campuses as well as in a radius of 200 metres from each school.

The Nagaland government on Tuesday banned the sale of junk food including chips, soft drinks and fried foods both within the school campuses as well as in a radius of 200 metres from each school, and asked the school authorities to take steps for making both children and parents aware about obesity, HFSS foods and importance of physical activity.

A notification issued by the Nagaland Board of School Education on Tuesday in Kohima also asked the school authorities to constitute a 7-10 member School Canteen Management Committee which would be solely responsible for ensuring that no junk food found way to the school campuses. The Committee that should include teachers, parents, students and canteen operators would be also solely responsible for providing safe food to the school children, it said.

“Consumption of foods High in Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS), popularly known as junk food, is associated with increased risk of certain diseases such as type-2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic inflammation and hyper-insulinemia with a risk of cardiovascular diseases in later life. These diseases and childhood obesity have been reportedly found to affect the cognitive and physical development of children adversely causing an irreparable loss to the society,” the notification said.

The notification also directed school authorities to conduct timely checking of quality of raw materials and ingredients and decide the lunch items to be prepared in the school canteen/kitchen. The Committee would also see that food in schools are up to standard and meet the guidelines as outlined by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The Board also asked the school authorities to conduct regular inspection of lunch boxes of students in order to minimize the consumption of unhealthy foods may be done by the schools.

90 boxes of mangoes seized

A food safety official inspecting mangoes ripened using calcium carbide at Paika in Mulleria village on Wednesday. 

They were ripened artificially

Food safety officials here have seized 90 boxes of mangoes ripened artificially using calcium carbide, a chemical hazardous to humans.

On a tip off, a team led by Kasaragod Circle Food Safety Officer P.K. Pradeep Kumar searched the house of P.M. Junaid at Paika in Mulleria village and seized 90 boxes, each weighing 20 kg. The seized stock was destroyed.

The team found that calcium carbide was placed in pouches in each box. Calcium carbide used to artificially ripen fruits generates acetylene gas, a carcinogen, the officials said.

Stock from Tamil Nadu

The raid comes at a time when the authorities have started efforts to make Chengala panchayat, where Paika is located, as a food safety zone. The trader said the mango stock was brought from Theni in Tamil Nadu. The food safety officials conduct regular checks to identify artificially ripened fruits.