India tightens food safety practice: Chips, junk food won't get healthy tags

New Delhi: Pushing for stricter food safety practice, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday pitched for a statutory warning ‘not healthy food’ on junk food packets like chips on the lines of cigarette packs.

The minister said he will write to the Health Minister on this issue. Mr Paswan also announced that the government will introduce e-warranty system to protect consumers in case they misplace warranties/ guarantees in physical forms.

“In some countries, it is written on the label if junk foods are healthy or not. We do not. We have received suggestions if cigarette pack can carry a warning ‘it is injurious to health’, then why not ‘not healthy food’ warning on junk foods,” Paswan said after announcing “antibiotics off the menu” as theme of this year's World Consumer Rights Day.

Since the issue is related to health, the Minister said, “I will write to the Health Ministry on this issue. We will see if something can be done in this area."

Expressing concern over content of labels being written in tiny letters, Mr Paswan said, “The letters on labels and their size is so small that no consumer can read. We have been thinking on this issue for last two years. We need to increase the size of the label.”

Though the officials are required to keep a check on such matters, but the industry can self regulate and follow ethical business code of conduct, he said. On e-warranty, Paswan said once the new Consumer Protection bill, which is being vetted by a Parliamentary panel, is passed in Parliament, it will pave the way for introduction of e-warranty for products sold.