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As part of its continuous efforts to raise consumer awareness and promote food safety, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) started the "Har Label Kuch Kehta Hai" (Every Label Speaks) campaign. The objective of this national campaign is to launch the consumer and help consumers understand whatever they eat has details written on the label.
FSSAI is to support rational decision making by improving the public’s understanding of food labels for the average consumer to ask for formulation and implementing health-related measures all over India. If more information and understanding are available, the public can then read these labels correctly, meaning they will improve their health and the likelihood of suffering from foodborne illness will reduce. This program assists in making individual choices regarding foods to take and is relevant to safety and consumer information internationally.
Objectives Of The Campaign
The goal of the "Har Label Kuch Kehta Hai" campaign is to simplify the complicated information found on food labels into simply understandable sections. The main objectives of the campaign include increasing consumer awareness with regards to the nutrients’ information, understanding the different food symbols used and their meanings, and enhancing their knowledge about the mandatory information to be mentioned on containers.
Consumers are able to make healthier food choices thanks to this full strategy, which helps them understand what they're eating. Furthermore, by insisting on higher accuracy of the information about foods in packaging and labelling, the effort is to make producers more accountable for the information they put out on their products.
Key Components Of The Campaign
The program divides reading food labels into a number of important categories:
- Identifying manufacturing and expiration dates
- Understanding ingredient listings
- How to read nutrition information panels
- Identifying symbols of food quality (such as the FSSAI logo and vegetarian/non-vegetarian markings)
- Understanding allergy claims
- Looking into information on pricing and net weight
These elements are described using a variety of educational materials, including videos, infographics, and interactive seminars, which enable a wide range of Indian audiences to understand the topic.
Image Credit: Flickr
Educational Tools And Resources
To support this effort, FSSAI has created a number of teaching materials:
- Social media platforms' digital content
- Print resources in several languages.
- Programs for food business training
- Workshops on consumer awareness
- Mobile apps for convenient access
- Interactive educational games
- Announcements for public service
These materials are made to accommodate various learning preferences and accessibility requirements, guaranteeing that the campaign reaches as many people as possible.
Consumer Rights And Empowerment
The campaign basically focuses on rights that consumers may have to do with the quality and safety of foods. It informs individuals about:
- Informational rights regarding food products
- How to complain about labels that are misleading
- Being aware of quality standards
- Recognising genuine goods
- Reporting issues with food safety
Customers are better able to make decisions and hold producers responsible for their goods because of this empowerment of knowledge.
Role Of FSSAI
Regulatory Framework
In India, the FSSAI is essential in establishing guidelines for food labelling and regulating food safety. In this way, the body ensures that manufacturers who provide wrong and misleading information on their product labels are held to account. Standard and regulatory audits with commitments may impose sanctions or penalties for non-compliance on manufacturers. "Har Label Kuch Kahta Hai" is an extension of the FSSAI's objective to encourage food label transparency in order to increase customer confidence and trust.
Image Credit: Freepik
Collaborative Efforts
The food sector as well as non-governmental organisations, government bodies, and health care professionals are vital stakeholders for the success of the initiative “Har Label Kuch Kahta Hai." Manufacturers are urged by the FSSAI to accept clear labelling procedures and actively participate in consumer education campaigns. The FSSAI believes that they can effectively promote and maintain high standards of transparency and commitment when it comes to product information by partnering up with food businesses.
Many organisations are participating in undertaking consciousness raising projects aimed at ensuring that individuals get adequate information regarding food safety at their disposal, thus developing a combined effort in order to ensure that people appreciate the important role of carefully choosing their foods.
The FSSAI is clearly being proactive in India with its “Har Label Kuch Kahta Hai” campaign. Through this message, customers may help themselves to control the kind of foods they want to eat and, in the process, develop a society that is sensitive to healthy foods.
