Misleading food advertisements and regulations to limit them

FSSAI identified 32 instances of food business operators (FBOs) making false claims and ads in violation of the Food Safety and Standards (ads and Claims) Regulations, 2018.
In the last six months, the total number of such violations has risen to 170.
FBOs are asked not to make unscientific or excessive statements in the name of greater customer interest.

FSSAI’s Food Safety and Standards (Advertisements & Claims) Regulations, 2018 CCPA regulations, and Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 are among the regulations.
FSSAI seeks assertions that are true, unambiguous, relevant, and scientifically supported.
Claims implying fitness for the prevention, alleviation, treatment, or cure of a disease, disorder, or specific psychological condition are illegal unless approved under the FSS Act, 2006.

Products in categories such as health supplements, organic products, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) products, and staples that support particular health and product claims were scrutinised.
Manufacturers and/or marketers of nutraceutical items, refined oils, pulses, flours, millet products, and ghee are among those accused of violating the law.
Cases were sent to the appropriate licencing authorities, who issued notices and ordered the deceptive claims to be withdrawn or scientifically substantiated.
Failure to comply might result in fines of up to Rs 10 lakh, as well as licence suspension or cancellation for repeat offences.

Non-disclosure: Approximately 788 ads were processed against food advertising, approximately 299 were related to non-disclosure by food influencers, and 490+ ads were deemed to be misleading.
Generally violative sector: Violations in many food categories and foods.

A natural food product is a single food sourced from a known natural source that has no additives or chemicals.
Fresh: This reference is only permitted for products that have not been processed other than washing, peeling, chilling, trimming, cutting, or low-dose irradiation.
Pure: It is used for single-ingredient goods that have no extra ingredients and are free of all preventable contamination.

Companies must submit clinical data on the results of the control group, the administered group, and the observed timeframe of the claimed outcomes.
Advertisements must be adjusted so that they may be interpreted by the customer.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/explained-misleading-food-ads-and-regulations-to-curtail-them/article66815388.ece