FSSAI steps up action against brands over unsafe products, misleading claims: Do consumers need simpler food labels?

From recalling an Everest cumin powder over unsafe pesticide levels to action against Dabur’s “100 per cent” claims and proceedings against Nestlé over infant nutrition products and a dairy whitener sample, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is stepping up its scrutiny of some of the country’s biggest food and beverage brands.

FSSAI’s recent crackdown against brands

Earlier in September, the FSSAI stepped up its regulatory scrutiny of FMCG major Dabur and called for a statutory audit covering 27 product lines. The action covered several consumer categories, including homemade brands, glucose powders and high-margin direct-to-consumer (D2C) wellness products. The food safety regulator also raised concerns over claims suggesting medicinal benefits for products such as cold-pressed oils, apple cider vinegar and honey, and directed the company to remove or withdraw such claims.

Previously, Dabur India was also barred from selling food products that carried claims such as “100% Pure”, “100% Natural”, “100% Purity Guaranteed”, “100% Organic” and “100% Tender Coconut Water”.

In a separate incident, the FSSAI ordered an immediate ban on the sale of Nestlé’s Low Fat Dairy Whitener after a sample collected from The Lalit Hotel in New Delhi was found to be “unsafe” and “substandard”.

On 4 October, the food safety regulator also asked Everest Food Products to recall its ‘pre-packed cumin powder’ from the market after a sample was found unsafe for consumption.

These recent actions raise a broader question for consumers: Do Indians need simpler food labels to understand what they are actually buying? Should consumers have to rely on FSSAI action to flag misleading claims, or should food labels be simple and transparent enough for them to make informed choices themselves?

Experts advocate for simpler food labels

Saloni, a nutritionist and founder of Femly, told LiveMint that Indians need simpler, more consumer-friendly food labels. “Today, a lot of the information on a package is technically correct, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is easy for the average person to understand,” she said.

Elaborating, she said, “When you’re standing in a supermarket, you shouldn’t need to be a nutritionist to figure out what you’re buying. Consumers should be able to look at a packet and quickly understand the basics: what are the main ingredients, how much sugar, sodium and saturated fat does it contain.”

According to Sonal Nakra, Consultant Nutritionist & Founder, Eat and Heal, India needs “honest” labels rather than those that are just “simple”. She said the country is sitting on a metabolic health time bomb, home to over 100 million people living with diabetes and millions more suffering from premature hypertension.

When asked whether Indians should be worried about complex terms on the backs of products, the two experts explained that they shouldn’t be worried, but they must be informed. According to Saloni, a complicated ingredient name does not automatically mean an ingredient is harmful. Many ingredients have scientific names because they perform a specific function in food.

Echoing Saloni’s sentiment, Nakra suggested a few ways to navigate labelling without falling into scaremongering.

Natural doesn’t always mean safe: “Natural” or “herbal” does not automatically mean chemical-free or safer than synthetic ingredients.

Dose matters: The risk of an additive depends on how much is consumed, so consumers should consider portion size and overall nutrition.

Sugar can hide behind different names: Ingredients such as maltodextrin, dextrose, rice syrup and invert sugar can make it harder to identify total sugar intake.

When asked which terms consumers should be most cautious about, the experts suggested looking beyond front-of-pack claims such as “Multigrain”, “Natural” or “No Added Sugar”. Additionally, they should pay special attention to added sugar, sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat, and review the overall ingredient list. These are more meaningful things to monitor than simply looking for ingredients with unfamiliar names, they said.

Nakra suggested that until front-of-pack warnings are foolproof, consumers should not fall for “marketing hypnosis”. Claims like “Baked”, “High Protein” or “Made with Real Fruit” are built to sell, not to inform.

While experts believe consumers need not worry about understanding every scientific term on a food package, they must be able to identify the information that matters to their health. As FSSAI continues to step up action against misleading claims, more consumer-friendly labels can certainly help consumers make informed choices.