Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018

The Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018 govern representations made about a food in its labelling or advertising. They cover claims about its nutritional value, health effects, composition, method of production and special qualities, requiring them to be truthful, meaningful and not misleading.

Nutrition and health claims

The regulations distinguish claims about what a food contains from claims about its relationship with health.

• Nutrition claims include nutrient-content claims, such as “high in” or “low in” a nutrient, and comparative claims, such as “reduced” or “more”, subject to prescribed conditions.
• Health claims include nutrient-function claims, other function claims and reduction-of-disease-risk claims; they require adequate scientific substantiation.
• A reduction-of-disease-risk claim describes reduction of a risk factor and cannot be presented as a claim to prevent, treat or cure a disease.

Composition and descriptive claims

The regulations also control claims that may create an impression of special composition, purity or processing.

• Non-addition claims cover statements about no added sugars, sodium salts or additives and may be used only when the specified conditions are satisfied.
• Claims using descriptors such as natural, fresh, pure, original and traditional are conditional claims; their use depends on the food's ingredients, processing and established character.
• Claims referring to dietary guidelines or a healthy diet must remain consistent with accepted dietary guidance and must not exaggerate the role of one food.

General safeguards and approval

Every claim must be consistent with the food's label and must not deceive consumers about its nature, quality or usefulness.

• Advertisements cannot encourage excessive consumption, disparage other foods or imply that a balanced diet cannot ordinarily provide adequate nutrients.
• Claims that a food can prevent, alleviate, treat or cure a disease are prohibited, except where specifically permitted under food law.
• A claim outside the prescribed framework must undergo the FSSAI approval procedure and be supported by relevant scientific evidence.