Esko webinar focuses on FSSAI labelling regulations

In a webinar hosted by Esko on 10 July, Shruti Ramanujam, manager - content marketing and Rajiv Mehra, global account manager, both from Esko, delved into the FSSAI labelling regulations, offering insights for Indian food brands keen to navigate the new compliance landscape. The discussion highlighted changes and future implications for product packaging and consumer trust.

One of the central themes was the immediate impact of the new rule prohibiting “100% claims” on labels unless the product genuinely contains 100% of the claimed ingredient without any added inorganic components. This regulation, now officially passed, aims to curb misleading advertising and ensure greater transparency for consumers. Rajiv Mehra, who shared his Esko journey with Artwork Flow, emphasised the importance of brands backing their claims with verifiable data, stating, “Brands build on trust, and if a brand can’t verify claims with data, then it should not put it on the label.”

The webinar also shed light on the proposed Front-of-Pack Labelling (FOPL) rules, known as the Indian Nutrition Rating, which have been in a draft form since 2022. This system, akin to star ratings for electronic products, intends to inform consumers about the healthiness of food items, particularly those high in fat, sugar, and salt. While the exact implementation details are still pending, the objective is clear: to empower consumers to make healthier choices and discourage the consumption of junk food. The discussion between Ramanujam and Mehra touched upon the ongoing debate regarding whether a star rating or more direct declarations (for instance, “high in fat”) would be more effective for the average consumer.

Beyond nutritional claims, the webinar covered new mandates regarding plastic packaging, requiring brands to include information via barcodes, QR codes, or unique identification numbers for improved traceability and waste management. Furthermore, the discussion addressed the introduction of a dedicated logo for milk and milk-based products, a white milk drop within a blue square, designed to differentiate between milk and milk-based products from non-milk-based products, and enhance consumer awareness.

A significant portion of the webinar focused on the practical challenges of compliance and how digital solutions can streamline the process. Mehra highlighted the inefficiencies of manual approval processes, which often lead to errors, product recalls, and missed market opportunities. He introduced Artwork Flow’s “Comply” tool, an AI-powered solution that enables brands to create custom rule books for their labels. This tool automates compliance checks against defined regulations, providing detailed reports on potential errors, thereby helping brands launch error-free and compliant labels faster.

During the Q&A session, Rajiv Mehra provided clarity on specific claims. While the “immunity booster” claim is complex and generally advised against due to the difficulty of scientific verification, the “100%” keyword can be used if fully substantiated by product data and supporting documents.

The webinar underscored the critical need for Indian food brands to stay abreast of FSSAI regulations. The message from the Esko duo of Ramanujam and Mehra was: brands should leverage digital tools in order to adopt proactive compliance strategies. This way, brands can safeguard consumer trust, ensure market readiness, and avoid costly penalties.