India cracks down on food safety and labeling
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
In India, regulators are conducting widespread inspections of food businesses and restaurants, leading to shutdowns and license cancellations.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and state-level regulators have increased checks on establishments across the country since 2020, testing over 100,000 samples each year and finding roughly 20 percent unsafe or improperly labeled. These actions follow long-standing consumer complaints about hygiene and food adulteration.
Tukaram Mundhe, the food commissioner of Maharashtra state, has gained public attention for his surprise raids on well-known chains like Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and McDonald’s, as well as on manufacturing facilities. His team recently discovered a warehouse where PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Unilever were altering expiry dates and nutritional information on products intended for export, prompting Canada to assess potential risks to its imports.
The FSSAI is also attempting to implement front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods to indicate high levels of sugar, salt, and fat. This effort has faced resistance from the food industry, which argues the proposed thresholds are too strict, and from health advocates, who believe the requirements are not stringent enough to protect public health. India’s Supreme Court will review the proposal on September 10.
