Sweets and namkeen packed products will have ‘Dangerous for health’ warning label

• Instruction to put label on the sweet and salty products containing more sugar and salt
• Opposition of Indore (Madhya Pradesh) traders

Sweets

New Delhi – Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has laid down some rules for packed food products. According to them, products containing more sugar and salt are going to be stated as ‘Dangerous for health’; hence a label stating ‘Dangerous for health’, will be put on them. Green and blue circular stamp will be put on those products. Therefore traders in Indore in MP are opposing this stand. They have expressed their opposition through writing a letter to the Authority. They are claiming that this stand will affect the trade of sweets and savoury products. They have stated that the sale of savoury was more than Rs 700 crores and that of sweet was more than Rs 500 cores.

1. Traders trading sweet and savoury products opine that people in India do not consume these products as food, that means to satisfy their hunger. So such warning on their containers would be erroneous and that will affect small businessmen whereas the bigger establishment will profit.

Such a decision appears to have been taken due to pressure from big establishments. Foreign companies wish small businessmen to quit their business.

2. Anurag Bothra secretary of ‘Madhya Pradesh Sweet and salty Manufacturer’s Association said that, India frames its rules imitating foreign rules. Compared with foreign countries, India has different food culture. No doubt people in India eat sweets, pickles, salty things which contain more sugar and salt; but no one eats them as we eat food to satisfy our hunger (Quantity). Therefore such warning is not necessary.