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Sustainable Food Systems

Its time Indian shoppers warned about how unhealthy, unhealthy junk meals is

As an alternative of the ‘Well being Star Scores’, as proposed by the Meals Security and Requirements Authority of India (FSSAI), which is able to “mislead the shoppers”, the Centre for Science & Surroundings (CSE) on Wednesday demanded that warnings about unhealthy ranges of salt, sugar, and fats be featured on junk meals. “Well being Star Scores are designed by the highly effective meals {industry} to mislead the buyer. By pushing these, the FSSAI will give license to glorify junk meals, which is the alternative of what needs to be performed”, CSE Director Basic Sunita Narain mentioned. “India cannot afford the epidemic of weight problems and non-communicable ailments. It’s time the Indian shopper is warned about how unhealthy and unhealthy junk meals is,” she mentioned. She was main the skilled deliberation on the necessity for front-of-pack warning labels on ultra-processed junk meals at Nimli as a part of a workshop on meals security and junk meals labelling, a press release mentioned right here. Entrance-of-pack labelling on packaged meals was first really helpful by an FSSAI-led committee fashioned in 2013 (CSE was a part of this committee). The FSSAI then got here up with a draft regulation in 2018, which had strict thresholds – limits to know unhealthy ranges – primarily based on these developed by the WHO for nations like India within the South-East Asia Area. “On account of {industry} strain, FSSAI got here up with one other draft in 2019. The meals {industry} was nonetheless not happy and this draft was repealed. From January-June 2021, stakeholder consultations have been held on the labelling design to be adopted, thresholds to make relevant and vitamins to be displayed. The most recent session occurred in February 2022, when it was made clear that FSSAI plans to go forward with the “Well being Star Ranking’,” the CSE assertion mentioned. “The only real goal of the stakeholder consultations, which have been closely dominated by the packaged meals {industry}, was to provide you with a labelling system, which is industry-friendly,” mentioned CSE’s Programme Director, Sustainable Meals Programs, Amit Khurana. Well being Star Ranking is a labelling system which incorporates depiction of 1 to five stars on packaged meals. These stars are depicted primarily based on an algorithm on the back-end, which isn’t recognized to shoppers. “Given all of the proof, if front-of-pack labelling are to cater primarily to public well being objectives, they have to take the type of warning labels and never well being star scores,” reiterated Vandana Prasad, a neighborhood paediatrician, Public Well being Useful resource Community, Delhi. “We hope the FSSAI will stand up to the strain of meals processing corporations and meet this requirement urgently.”

Sustainable Food Systems

Say ‘no’ to health star ratings on junk food: Experts

Instead of the ‘Health Star Ratings’ on junk food, as proposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which will “mislead the consumers”, the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) on Wednesday demanded that warnings about unhealthy levels of salt, sugar, and fat be featured instead. “Health Star Ratings are designed by the powerful food industry to mislead the consumer. By pushing these, the FSSAI will give license to glorify junk foods, which is the opposite of what should be done. India can’t afford the epidemic of obesity and non-communicable diseases. It is time the Indian consumer is warned about how bad and unhealthy junk food is,” CSE Director General Sunita Narain said. She was leading the expert deliberation on the aNeed for front-of-pack warning labels on ultra-processed junk foods at Nimli as part of a workshop on food safety and junk food labelling, a statement said here. Front-of-pack labelling on packaged foods was first recommended by an FSSAI-led committee formed in 2013 (CSE was part of this committee). The FSSAI then came up with a draft regulation in 2018, which had strict thresholds – limits to know unhealthy levels – based on those developed by the WHO for countries like India in the South-East Asia Region. “Due to industry pressure, FSSAI came up with another draft in 2019. The food industry was still not pleased and this draft was repealed. From January-June 2021, stakeholder consultations were held on the labelling design to be adopted, thresholds to make applicable and nutrients to be displayed. The latest consultation took place in February 2022, when it was made clear that FSSAI plans to go ahead with the “Health Star Rating’,” the CSE statement said. “The sole objective of the stakeholder consultations, which were heavily dominated by the packaged food industry, was to come up with a labelling system, which is industry-friendly,” said CSE’s Programme Director, Sustainable Food Systems, Amit Khurana. Health Star Rating is a labelling system which includes depiction of 1 to 5 stars on packaged foods. These stars are depicted based on an algorithm at the back-end, which is not known to consumers. “Given all the evidence, if front-of-pack labelling are to cater primarily to public health goals, they must take the form of warning labels and not health star ratings,” reiterated Vandana Prasad, a community paediatrician, Public Health Resource Network, Delhi. “We hope the FSSAI will withstand the pressure of food processing companies and meet this requirement urgently.” –IANS

Sustainable Food Systems

Say ‘no’ to health star ratings on junk food: Experts

Sustainable Food Systems

Give 'warning' Label, Not Health Star Rating On Junk Food Packages: Experts Tell FSSAI

The government should issue a warning' label on packaged junk foods instead of health star ratings as they are misleading and doing more harm to customers The government should issue a warning' label on packaged junk foods instead of health star ratings as they are misleading and doing more harm to customers than good, health experts said on Wednesday. Health star rating is a labelling system that grades packaged foods on the scale of one to five stars. If the government is serious about the epidemic of obesity and non-communicable diseases, the consumer needs to be cautioned about junk foods through warning' labels, public health experts gathered at the National Conclave on Sustainable Food Systems', organized by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in Nimli, Rajasthan, said. Health star ratings are designed by the powerful food industry to mislead the consumer. By pushing these, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will give license to glorify junk foods, which is the opposite of what should be done, Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, said while leading the expert deliberation on the Need for front-of-pack warning labels on ultra-processed junk foods'. The deliberations included about 50 experts from across the country, including Amit Khurana, programme director, Sustainable Food Systems, CSE; George Cheriyan, director, CUTS International, Rajasthan; Vandana Prasad, community pediatrician, Public Health Resource Network, Delhi; and Sanjay Pandey, lead advisor, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, India. Front-of-pack labelling on packaged foods was first recommended by an the FSSAI-led committee formed in 2013. CSE was part of this committee. FSSAI then came up with a draft regulation in 2018, which had strict thresholds limits to know unhealthy levels based on those developed by the WHO for countries like India in the South-East Asia Region. Due to industry pressure, FSSAI came up with another draft in 2019. The food industry was still not pleased and this draft was repealed. From January-June 2021, stakeholder consultations were held on the labelling design to be adopted, thresholds to made applicable and nutrients to be displayed. CSE has documented all delays and dilutions until June 2021, the organisation alleged in a statement. The latest consultation took place in February during which it was made clear that FSSAI plans to go ahead with the Health Star Rating'. The sole objective of the stakeholder consultations, which were heavily dominated by the packaged food industry, was to come up with a labelling system, which is industry-friendly, said Khurana, who was part of these consultations, adding that all this while, FSSAI has been insensitive to the information needs of the consumer. He alleged that the statutory body also ignored the global best practices and evidence around it. Instead, in an orchestrated way, through the scientific panel and commissioned studies, it is now getting ready to adopt a labelling system which is considered least effective and rejected across the world, he said. Health star ratings are depicted based on an algorithm at the back-end, which is not known to consumers, CSE said, adding that it is only adopted voluntarily in few countries such as Australia and New Zealand and only some food products carry it. It has been rejected in several other countries as it can mislead the consumer and be easily manipulated by the industry, the CSE said. The proven best practice in front-of-pack labelling is nutrient specific warning' labels, experts said. They have been simple and effective in discouraging junk food consumption. Several Latin American countries, Canada and Israel have already adopted warning labels. Many other countries are considering them. Among them, the best known are symbol-based warning labels such as that of Israel. These will be most suitable for India, as it would transcend the literature and language barriers, the CSE said. We have submitted our concerns to FSSAI. It can't allow a system that will effectively nudge the consumer to make unhealthy choices. It will mislead the consumer because of its design, algorithm and inclusion of positive nutrients in the calculation. It can't allow relaxed limits and voluntary adoption, Narain said.

Industrial Pollution

Women in India’s West Bengal fight upcoming coal mine

Women are leading a movement to resist government efforts to set up a coal mine in Birbhum district of West Bengal. Mainomoti Soren, a 42-year-old farmer in Dewanganj village in eastern India, was one of at least 100 women who clashed with supporters of a political rally in her village over the government’s attempts to buy her land to mine the coal buried there. As the police beat the protesters with sticks last December, Soren, who was two months pregnant at the time, felt blood oozing down her legs and she fainted. Villagers rushed her on a motorcycle to a hospital but she had already lost the baby. “I kept pleading about my pregnancy, but they didn’t listen and beat me with a stick,” says Soren. Soren is among the hundreds of women belonging to an Indigenous community who have been leading since September a fierce battle against the West Bengal government’s efforts to set up a coal mine in Birbhum district which is touted to be the second-largest in the world on account of its estimated coal reserves of 2,102 million tonnes. She is trying to hold on to the 4 acres (1.6 hectares) of land that she owns in Birbhum, about 200km (125 miles) from state capital Kolkata, where she grows paddy and vegetables. She keeps what she needs to feed her family of four, including her husband and their two children, and sells the rest, earning about 5,000 rupees ($66) on average a month. With the income barely enough, her husband works as a daily wage labourer on another farm. “We find it difficult to eke out our livelihood,” says Soren, adding, “the loss of land will push us further into poverty.” Villagers complain that no action has been taken against the errant policemen involved in the assault on the protesting women. “We were beaten up in the absence of female police,” Suhagini Soren, another villager who had joined the protests, told Al Jazeera. “They assaulted us severely but no action has been taken yet,” she said, showing four stitches on her hand as a result of the scuffle. Senior police officers, however, denied any police brutality. “There was a minor scuffle between the two groups when the rally was being taken out in the village. Police intervened and pacified both the factions. But there were no reports of police brutality,” Nagendra Nath Tripathi, Birbhum superintendent of police, told Al Jazeera. The police were investigating the claims of brutality, he added. The controversial coal block The proposed coal project is spread across 18 villages and covers 4,314 households and about 21,000 people in the Deocha-Panchami-Dewanganj-Harisingha blocks of Birbhum and is commonly known as Deocha-Panchami coal mining project. Locals mostly farm their own land or someone else’s and also work as daily wage labourers in stone quarries and crushers in the area. In September 2018, the federal government allocated the coal block to the West Bengal government. A year later, the state government handed over the block to West Bengal Power Development Corp Ltd (WBPDCL) for extracting coal and generating power. The government plans to invest 350 million rupees ($4.6m) for power generation. The government has earmarked about 3,370 acres (1,364 hectares) of land for the coal mine of which 2,392 acres (968 hectares) is owned by the local families, which it aims to acquire. But land acquisition in the country, specifically in West Bengal, is a tricky issue. The current All India Trinamool Congress government, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, came to power in 2011 on the back of a people’s movement to resist the then state government’s efforts to acquire their land to lease it to Tata Group to set up a car factory. The move to excavate the coal comes at a time when India has committed to take the country’s non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatts by 2030, up from 150GW now, and net zero emissions by 2070. “The government has promised net zero emissions by 2070 but it’s silent on reducing the dependency on coal,” said Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based think-tank. Currently, India gets about 51.7 percent of its power from coal-based thermal power plants that use about 700 million tonnes of coal every year. Apart from that, coal is also extensively used in various industries, like iron and steel, cement, bricks, fertiliser, and aluminium.

Sustainable Food Systems

Give 'warning' label, not health star rating on junk food packages: Experts tell to FSSAI

The government should issue a warning’ label on packaged junk foods instead of health star ratings as they are misleading and doing more harm to customers than good, health experts said on Wednesday. Health star rating is a labelling system that grades packaged foods on the scale of one to five stars. If the government is serious about the epidemic of obesity and non-communicable diseases, the consumer needs to be cautioned about junk foods through warning’ labels, public health experts gathered at the National Conclave on Sustainable Food Systems’, organized by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in Nimli, Rajasthan, said. Health star ratings are designed by the powerful food industry to mislead the consumer. By pushing these, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will give license to glorify junk foods, which is the opposite of what should be done, Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, said while leading the expert deliberation on the Need for front-of-pack warning labels on ultra-processed junk foods’. The deliberations included about 50 experts from across the country, including Amit Khurana, programme director, Sustainable Food Systems, CSE; George Cheriyan, director, CUTS International, Rajasthan; Vandana Prasad, community pediatrician, Public Health Resource Network, Delhi; and Sanjay Pandey, lead advisor, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, India. Front-of-pack labelling on packaged foods was first recommended by an the FSSAI-led committee formed in 2013. CSE was part of this committee. FSSAI then came up with a draft regulation in 2018, which had strict thresholds limits to know unhealthy levels based on those developed by the WHO for countries like India in the South-East Asia Region. Due to industry pressure, FSSAI came up with another draft in 2019. The food industry was still not pleased and this draft was repealed. From January-June 2021, stakeholder consultations were held on the labelling design to be adopted, thresholds to made applicable and nutrients to be displayed. CSE has documented all delays and dilutions until June 2021, the organisation alleged in a statement. The latest consultation took place in February during which it was made clear that FSSAI plans to go ahead with the Health Star Rating’. The sole objective of the stakeholder consultations, which were heavily dominated by the packaged food industry, was to come up with a labelling system, which is industry-friendly, said Khurana, who was part of these consultations, adding that all this while, FSSAI has been insensitive to the information needs of the consumer. He alleged that the statutory body also ignored the global best practices and evidence around it. Instead, in an orchestrated way, through the scientific panel and commissioned studies, it is now getting ready to adopt a labelling system which is considered least effective and rejected across the world, he said. Health star ratings are depicted based on an algorithm at the back-end, which is not known to consumers, CSE said, adding that it is only adopted voluntarily in few countries such as Australia and New Zealand and only some food products carry it. It has been rejected in several other countries as it can mislead the consumer and be easily manipulated by the industry, the CSE said. The proven best practice in front-of-pack labelling is nutrient specific warning’ labels, experts said. They have been simple and effective in discouraging junk food consumption. Several Latin American countries, Canada and Israel have already adopted warning labels. Many other countries are considering them. Among them, the best known are symbol-based warning labels such as that of Israel. These will be most suitable for India, as it would transcend the literature and language barriers, the CSE said. We have submitted our concerns to FSSAI. It can’t allow a system that will effectively nudge the consumer to make unhealthy choices. It will mislead the consumer because of its design, algorithm and inclusion of positive nutrients in the calculation. It can’t allow relaxed limits and voluntary adoption, Narain said.

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

To prevent fires at Ghazipur landfill, Delhi to adopt ‘gas sucking system’ to absorb emissions of methane gas

Orders have been issued to send combined teams of the DPCC and the MCD to Mumbai to get “information about the working model of the gas sucking system,” he added. The Ghazipur landfill falls under the East Delhi Municipal Corporation’s jurisdiction. A “gas sucking system” to absorb emissions of methane gas from landfill sites will be adopted at the Ghazipur landfill to deal with fire incidents, according to a communication from Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai’s office. The Delhi government has given orders to the “MCD and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to adopt the gas sucking system installed at Mumbai’s dumping site to provide a permanent solution to the problem of fire incidents at landfill sites,” Rai said. Orders have been issued to send combined teams of the DPCC and the MCD to Mumbai to get “information about the working model of the gas sucking system,” he added. The Ghazipur landfill falls under the East Delhi Municipal Corporation’s jurisdiction. Rai held a meeting on Thursday with representatives from the DPCC, MCD, IIT Delhi, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), GAIL and ICAR-IARI to discuss measures to mitigate fire incidents at the Ghazipur landfill. Methane gas generated by decomposition of organic waste at the landfill can lead to fires. Fires have broken out thrice at the landfill recently, the latest incident being one on Wednesday. Rai said, “During the meeting with experts, many other suggestions were also discussed. Ideas such as installing gas wells, covering waste with soil by roughly 10 cm, and sorting waste into six categories were considered in order to prevent fire incidents by taking action at the earliest.” Dr Suneel Pandey at TERI, who attended the meeting on Thursday, said, “One option to address the issue of methane is to set up a gas clearing system at the site, where gas wells are installed and the methane is flared. It was implemented earlier in Mumbai. A similar system will have to be implemented at Ghazipur, but it will require significant investment. In Mumbai, the gas was trapped and flared. At the Ghazipur landfill, GAIL had set up a gas extraction system earlier and wanted to see if it can be used as transport fuel. But the methane composition in the gas was low, and it could not be used for transport fuel. When the gas pressure was high, power was being produced, and when the pressure dropped, the system was closed.” Richa Singh, programme officer, Waste Management Programme, CSE, said gas wells are interim solutions, but are not an efficient option. “Since the landfill at Ghazipur is unscientific, we don’t know if gas rings will be able to efficiently capture the gas,” said Singh, who attended the meeting. Atin Biswas, programme director, Municipal Solid Waste, CSE, who was also present there, said gas suction mechanisms have limited success. “The mechanism to extract gas is created when you are constructing a scientific landfill. It is part of the construction protocol to lay pipelines to collect gas. Ideally, we should have a pilot project in a smaller space before large-scale application,” he said. The NGT and the Swachh Bharat Mission mandates are to biomine these landfills, he added.

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

Delhi govt issues 21 notices under anti-open burning drive

After inspecting 1,915 sites under the anti-open burning campaign so far, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday informed that 21 notices and challans have been issued to the violators. As per Rai, 500 teams from 10 different departments have been deployed to make the campaign successful. ”So far around 1,915 garbage burning sites and landfill sites have been inspected by the teams deployed under the Anti-Open Burning Campaign. Along with this 21 notices/challan have been issued to individuals,” he said. Divulging more details on the report, the Minister said that the campaign will continue in Delhi until May 12. “During this time, 500 teams from ten departments have been deployed as part of the anti-open burning campaign. They are responsible for taking immediate actions to monitor and prevent open burning incidences in Delhi. Also, MCD has been given instructions to take all necessary actions to control fire accidents at the landfill site,” he added. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee will begin running special drives for industrial units from April 20 onwards. In addition, the Minister informed that all 1,607 registered industrial units in Delhi have been converted to PNG, and “if any industrial unit is found to be breaking environmental regulations, the concerned agency will take necessary and strict actions against them.” On April 21, a high-level meeting with all experts from relevant departments, including DPCC, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Environment Department, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Delhi Technological University (DTU), and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), will be convened at the Delhi Secretariat to resolve the incidents of fire on the landfill site, Rai informed. “In addition, the teams are inspecting the Landfill sites on a daily basis. Public Works Department has also been ordered to form a special task force to increase the roadside green cover in Delhi. PWD has started working on it. And, based on their recently released report, efforts on increasing roadside green cover will begin as soon as feasible,” the Minister added.

Sustainable Food Systems

Give ‘warning’ label, not health star rating on junk food packages: experts tell to FSSAI

The government should issue a ‘warning’ label on packaged junk foods instead of health star ratings as they are misleading and doing more harm to customers than good, health experts said on Wednesday. Health star rating is a labelling system that grades packaged foods on the scale of one to five stars. If the government is serious about the “epidemic” of obesity and non-communicable diseases, the consumer needs to be cautioned about junk foods through ‘warning’ labels, public health experts gathered at the ‘National Conclave on Sustainable Food Systems’, organized by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in Nimli, Rajasthan, said. “Health star ratings are designed by the powerful food industry to mislead the consumer. By pushing these, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will give license to glorify junk foods, which is the opposite of what should be done,” Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, said while leading the expert deliberation on the ‘Need for front-of-pack warning labels on ultra-processed junk foods’. The deliberations included about 50 experts from across the country, including Amit Khurana, programme director, Sustainable Food Systems, CSE; George Cheriyan, director, CUTS International, Rajasthan; Vandana Prasad, community pediatrician, Public Health Resource Network, Delhi; and Sanjay Pandey, lead advisor, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, India. Front-of-pack labelling on packaged foods was first recommended by an the FSSAI-led committee formed in 2013. “CSE was part of this committee. FSSAI then came up with a draft regulation in 2018, which had strict thresholds – limits to know unhealthy levels – based on those developed by the WHO for countries like India in the South-East Asia Region. “Due to industry pressure, FSSAI came up with another draft in 2019. The food industry was still not pleased and this draft was repealed. From January-June 2021, stakeholder consultations were held on the labelling design to be adopted, thresholds to made applicable and nutrients to be displayed. CSE has documented all delays and dilutions until June 2021,” the organisation alleged in a statement. The latest consultation took place in February during which it was made clear that FSSAI plans to go ahead with the ‘Health Star Rating’. “The sole objective of the stakeholder consultations, which were heavily dominated by the packaged food industry, was to come up with a labelling system, which is industry-friendly,” said Khurana, who was part of these consultations, adding that “all this while, FSSAI has been insensitive to the information needs of the consumer”. He alleged that the statutory body also ignored the global best practices and evidence around it. “Instead, in an orchestrated way, through the scientific panel and commissioned studies, it is now getting ready to adopt a labelling system which is considered least effective and rejected across the world,” he said. Health star ratings are depicted based on an algorithm at the back-end, which is not known to consumers, CSE said, adding that it is only adopted voluntarily in few countries such as Australia and New Zealand and only some food products carry it. It has been rejected in several other countries as it can mislead the consumer and be easily manipulated by the industry, the CSE said. The proven best practice in front-of-pack labelling is nutrient specific ‘warning’ labels, experts said. They have been simple and effective in discouraging junk food consumption. Several Latin American countries, Canada and Israel have already adopted warning labels. Many other countries are considering them. Among them, the best known are symbol-based warning labels such as that of Israel. These will be most suitable for India, as it would transcend the literature and language barriers, the CSE said. “We have submitted our concerns to FSSAI. It can’t allow a system that will effectively nudge the consumer to make unhealthy choices. It will mislead the consumer because of its design, algorithm and inclusion of positive nutrients in the calculation. It can’t allow relaxed limits and voluntary adoption,” Narain said. PTI AG AG CJ CJ

Sustainable Food Systems

Give 'warning' label, not health star rating on junk food packages: Experts tell to FSSAI

The government should issue a ‘warning' label on packaged junk foods instead of health star ratings as they are misleading and doing more harm to customers than good, health experts said on Wednesday. Health star rating is a labelling system that grades packaged foods on the scale of one to five stars. If the government is serious about the “epidemic” of obesity and non-communicable diseases, the consumer needs to be cautioned about junk foods through ‘warning' labels, public h .. “Health star ratings are designed by the powerful food industry to mislead the consumer. By pushing these, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will give license to glorify junk foods, which is the opposite of what should be done,” Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, said while leading the expert deliberation on the ‘Need for front-of-pack warning labels on ultra-processed junk foods'. The deliberations included about 50 experts from across the country, including Amit Khurana, programme director, Sustainable Food Systems, CSE; George Cheriyan, director, CUTS International, Rajasthan; Vandana Prasad, community pediatrician, Public Health Resource Network, Delhi; and Sanjay Pandey, lead advisor, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, India. Front-of-pack labelling on packaged foods was first recommended by an the FSSAI-led committee formed in 2013. “CSE was part of .. Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/food/give-warning-label-not-health-star-rating-on-junk-food-packages-experts-tell-to-fssai/articleshow/90957359.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Sustainable Food Systems

Experts at CSE conclave say ‘No’ to Health Star ratings on junk food

FSSAI’s pro-industry move will hurt consumers Experts met to discuss packaging labeling of packaged foods, and pleaded that the FSSAI should not proceed with “Health Star ratings” on packaged fast foods because they are misleading and can do more harm to the consumer than good. He repeats that consumers should be warned about junk food with “warning” labels, if the government is serious about slowing the epidemic of obesity and non-communicable diseases. FSSAI must come forward and show they care about the Indian consumer and public health: Sunita Narain, Managing Director, CSE Find seat details: click here April 20, 2022: Experts from the public health, medical fraternity and consumer groups gathered to discuss the issue of labeling on packaged fast foods on April 19, 2022. The deliberations were part of three days’National Council on Sustainable Food SystemsOrganized by Center for Science and Environment (CSE) at Anil Agarwal Environmental Training Institute (AAETI), Nimli, Rajasthan. India cannot afford the epidemic of obesity and non-communicable diseases. Sunita Naren, director general of the Center for Science and Environment, said while leading expert deliberations on the “need for front-package warning labels” on highly processed fast foods. “Health Star ratings are designed by the powerful food industry to mislead the consumer. By pushing these things forward, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will give license to glorify fast foods, which is the opposite of what needs to be done,” she added. The deliberations included about 50 experts from all over the country. Expert speakers for this session included: Amit Khurana, Director of the Sustainable Food Systems Program, Center for Science and Environment; George Cherian,Director of CUTS International, Rajasthan; Vandana Prasad,Community Pediatrician, Public Health Resource Network, Delhi; AndSanjay PandeyPrincipal Consultant, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, India. Recommended committee led by the FSSAI formed in 2013. CSE was part of this committee. Then the FSSAI came up with a draft regulation in 2018, which had strict thresholds – limits on what levels are unhealthy – based on those developed by the World Health Organization for countries like India in the Southeast Asian region. Due to industry pressure, the FSSAI came up with another draft in 2019. The food industry was still unhappy and this draft was cancelled. From January to June 2021, consultations were held with stakeholders regarding the label design to be adopted, the limits that could be applied, and the nutrients to be shown. CSE has documented all delays and mitigations through June 2021 in the Down to Earth Cover story. The most recent consultation took place in February 2022, when it was clarified that the FSSAI planned to move forward with a “Health Star rating”. said Amit Khurana, Program Director, Sustainable Food Systems at the Center for Science and the Environment, who was part of these consultations. “All this time, the FSSAI has been insensitive to consumer information needs. It has also ignored global best practices and evidence around them. Instead, in a coordinated manner, through its Scientific Committee and commissioned studies, it is now preparing to adopt a labeling system that is considered the least effective and rejected worldwide. world,” added Khurana Health Star Rating is a labeling system that includes a 1 to 5 star rating on packaged foods. These stars were photographed based on an algorithm at the back end, and are unknown to consumers. It is only voluntarily approved in a few countries such as Australia and New Zealand and only a portion of food products carry it. It has been rejected in many other countries because it can mislead the consumer and be easily manipulated by the industry. For example, his algorithm includes scores for positive nutrients, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc., which is a carefully crafted industry strategy for selling ultra-processed foods as good foods. It also does not tell the consumer, if a particular product is high in salt or sugar because it only gives a brief star-shaped indication. For example, people with high blood pressure will not be able to tell if a product contains salt or not. Nor will it help build long-term consumer awareness about unhealthy levels of salt, sugar and fat. It was meant to compare foods within a particular food category. “Given all the evidence, if labeling on packaging is to primarily meet public health goals, it should take the form of warning signs and not health star ratings,” said Vandana Prasad, community pediatrician, Public Health Resource Network, Delhi. “We hope the FSSAI can withstand the pressure of food manufacturers and urgently meet this requirement,” she added. George Cherian, director of Consumer Unity and Trust International (CUTS) and a member of the FSSAI, has strongly advocated for FOPL that is simple and easily consumer interpretable, thus helping them identify unhealthy products. Voluntary health star ratings allow the industry to use them selectively. Hence it is used on products that are already healthier than others. He said it is important for Indian regulators to choose a simple and explanatory label that helps the consumer choose between healthier and less healthy products. A proven best practice in labeling the package is the “warning” labels for nutrients. It was simple and effective in discouraging junk food consumption. Several Latin American countries, Canada and Israel have already adopted warning signs. Many other countries are considering it. Among them, the most famous symbol-based warning signs such as those of Israel. This would be most suitable for India, as it would transcend the barriers of literature and language. “We have submitted our concerns to the FSSAI. It cannot allow a system that would effectively induce the consumer to make unhealthy choices. In conclusion, this would mislead the consumer due to its design, algorithm and inclusion of positive nutrients in the calculation,” Mesnarine said. “The FSSAI must come forward and show that they care about the Indian consumer and public health. They will have to act aggressively to face the pressures of the industry and fulfill the mandate given to them,” Naren added.

Sustainable Food Systems

Give 'warning' label, not health star rating on junk food packages

Give 'warning' label, not health star rating on junk food packages https://www.udayavani.com/english-news/give-warning-label-not-health-star-rating-on-junk-food-packages-experts-tell-to-fssai

Sustainable Food Systems

Give 'warning' label, not health star rating on junk food packages: Experts tell to FSSAI

Health star rating is a labelling system that grades packaged foods on the scale of one to five stars. The government should issue a warning’ label on packaged junk foods instead of health star ratings as they are misleading and doing more harm to customers than good, health experts said on Wednesday. Health star rating is a labelling system that grades packaged foods on the scale of one to five stars. If the government is serious about the epidemic of obesity and non-communicable diseases, the consumer needs to be cautioned about junk foods through warning’ labels, public health experts gathered at the National Conclave on Sustainable Food Systems’, organized by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in Nimli, Rajasthan, said. Health star ratings are designed by the powerful food industry to mislead the consumer. By pushing these, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will give license to glorify junk foods, which is the opposite of what should be done, Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, said while leading the expert deliberation on the Need for front-of-pack warning labels on ultra-processed junk foods’. The deliberations included about 50 experts from across the country, including Amit Khurana, programme director, Sustainable Food Systems, CSE; George Cheriyan, director, CUTS International, Rajasthan; Vandana Prasad, community pediatrician, Public Health Resource Network, Delhi; and Sanjay Pandey, lead advisor, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, India. Front-of-pack labelling on packaged foods was first recommended by an the FSSAI-led committee formed in 2013. CSE was part of this committee. FSSAI then came up with a draft regulation in 2018, which had strict thresholds limits to know unhealthy levels based on those developed by the WHO for countries like India in the South-East Asia Region. Due to industry pressure, FSSAI came up with another draft in 2019. The food industry was still not pleased and this draft was repealed. From January-June 2021, stakeholder consultations were held on the labelling design to be adopted, thresholds to made applicable and nutrients to be displayed. CSE has documented all delays and dilutions until June 2021, the organisation alleged in a statement. The latest consultation took place in February during which it was made clear that FSSAI plans to go ahead with the Health Star Rating’. The sole objective of the stakeholder consultations, which were heavily dominated by the packaged food industry, was to come up with a labelling system, which is industry-friendly, said Khurana, who was part of these consultations, adding that all this while, FSSAI has been insensitive to the information needs of the consumer. He alleged that the statutory body also ignored the global best practices and evidence around it. Instead, in an orchestrated way, through the scientific panel and commissioned studies, it is now getting ready to adopt a labelling system which is considered least effective and rejected across the world, he said. Health star ratings are depicted based on an algorithm at the back-end, which is not known to consumers, CSE said, adding that it is only adopted voluntarily in few countries such as Australia and New Zealand and only some food products carry it. It has been rejected in several other countries as it can mislead the consumer and be easily manipulated by the industry, the CSE said. The proven best practice in front-of-pack labelling is nutrient specific warning’ labels, experts said. They have been simple and effective in discouraging junk food consumption. Several Latin American countries, Canada and Israel have already adopted warning labels. Many other countries are considering them. Among them, the best known are symbol-based warning labels such as that of Israel. These will be most suitable for India, as it would transcend the literature and language barriers, the CSE said. We have submitted our concerns to FSSAI. It can’t allow a system that will effectively nudge the consumer to make unhealthy choices. It will mislead the consumer because of its design, algorithm and inclusion of positive nutrients in the calculation. It can’t allow relaxed limits and voluntary adoption, Narain said.

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Fixing the system

We cannot manage our rivers sustainably unless we fix our waste management practices because both aspects will be intricately linked in the future For many years now India has been working, without much success, to ensure that our rivers are not polluted; that the sewage of our cities is treated before it is discharged; and that industries do not pollute. In these climate-risked times, we need to recognise the urgency of this challenge — water will be scarcer as rainfall becomes more variable and erratic. We need to manage this stress, not only by capturing the rain in millions of water bodies but also by making sure that not a single drop of water gets polluted. The good news is that our policies on rivers are evolving using the lessons from our failures. Today, the National Mission for Clean Ganga recognises that combating river pollution is not possible unless we can provide every Indian with working toilets, connected to systems that safely dispose of human excreta so it does not become another source of pollution and of bad health. This agenda is, therefore, not just about building toilets but also about building sanitation systems that are affordable to all. Growth can be sustainable only when it is affordable and inclusive. This is our real challenge. This challenge offers the opportunity to do things differently, and more effectively. Till now, the paradigm for urban sanitation has been costly. But the excreta sums of different cities, or what we call the city's "shit-flow" diagram, show that the situation is grim. Our cities do not treat or safely dispose of the bulk of the human excreta. This is because we often confuse toilets with sanitation. The fact is, toilets are mere receptacles to receive waste; when we flush or pour water, the waste flows into a piped drain, which could be either connected — or more likely not — to a sewage treatment plant (STP). This STP could be working, or not. This means that human excreta (and our household waste) is mostly not disposed of safely. It is just discharged untreated into the nearest river, lake or drain. This dirty water is responsible for the growing load of pollution, which in turn is leading to an increased disease burden. But, as I said, herein lies the opportunity. Instead of waiting for the underground sewer network to be built — which is expensive, unaffordable and frankly, given the economics of municipalities, unviable — there is another route for the excreta to flow. Today, the bulk of India's households that have access to sanitation are connected to septic tanks. These septic tanks, if well constructed, will retain the sludge and discharge the liquid through a soak pit. The faecal sludge can be emptied and conveyed for treatment. The system would work if the septic tank is built to specification; if the system for collection of human excreta (faecal sludge) is regulated; and if the sludge, so collected, is taken to treatment points so that it can be made safe for reuse. This sludge is rich in nutrients. The global nitrogen cycle is being disrupted because we dispose of the nutrient-rich human excreta into water bodies. We can return the human excreta back to land, use it as a fertiliser and reverse the nitrogen cycle. Also Read - Perfidious 'compromise' The faecal sludge, after treatment, can be given to farmers and be used as organic compost. Or, it can be treated and mixed with other organic waste, like kitchen waste, and used for biogas, or for manufacturing fuel pellets or ethanol. We should learn from ancient Roma (Rome) and Edo (the city out of which grew Tokyo). The Romans used to build huge aqueducts that ran for tens of kilometres to bring water to their settlements. Many experts have praised the Romans for the meticulously planned water supply system. But, no, these aqueducts represent not the intelligence but the utter environmental mismanagement of the great Romans. Rome was built on the river Tiber. The city did not need any aqueduct. But as the waste of Rome was discharged directly into the Tiber, the river was polluted and water had to be brought from long distances. Water outlets were few as a result and the elite appropriated these using a system of slaves. On the contrary, the traditional Japanese society never discharged their waste into the rivers. Instead, they composted the waste and then used it in the fields. Using the rivers, Edo had numerous water outlets and a much more egalitarian water supply. Water and culture go hand in hand. So, water shortage is not about the mere failure of rain. It is about the failure of society to protect and share its water endowment. The bottom line is that we cannot manage our rivers sustainably unless we fix our system of waste management. Our water future depends not only on our water wisdom but also on our waste wisdom. DTE The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of DownToEarth. Views expressed are personal

Sustainable Food Systems

Give "warning" label, not health star rating on junk food packages: experts tell to FSSAI

The government should issue a ‘warning" label on packaged junk foods instead of health star ratings as they are misleading and doing more harm to customers than good, health experts said on Wednesday. Health star rating is a labelling system that grades packaged foods on the scale of one to five stars. If the government is serious about the “epidemic” of obesity and non-communicable diseases, the consumer needs to be cautioned about junk foods through ‘warning’ labels, public health experts gathered at the ‘National Conclave on Sustainable Food Systems", organized by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in Nimli, Rajasthan, said. “Health star ratings are designed by the powerful food industry to mislead the consumer. By pushing these, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will give license to glorify junk foods, which is the opposite of what should be done,” Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, said while leading the expert deliberation on the ‘Need for front-of-pack warning labels on ultra-processed junk foods’. The deliberations included about 50 experts from across the country, including Amit Khurana, programme director, Sustainable Food Systems, CSE; George Cheriyan, director, CUTS International, Rajasthan; Vandana Prasad, community pediatrician, Public Health Resource Network, Delhi; and Sanjay Pandey, lead advisor, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, India. Front-of-pack labelling on packaged foods was first recommended by an the FSSAI-led committee formed in 2013. “CSE was part of this committee. FSSAI then came up with a draft regulation in 2018, which had strict thresholds – limits to know unhealthy levels – based on those developed by the WHO for countries like India in the South-East Asia Region. “Due to industry pressure, FSSAI came up with another draft in 2019. The food industry was still not pleased and this draft was repealed. From January-June 2021, stakeholder consultations were held on the labelling design to be adopted, thresholds to made applicable and nutrients to be displayed. CSE has documented all delays and dilutions until June 2021,” the organisation alleged in a statement. The latest consultation took place in February during which it was made clear that FSSAI plans to go ahead with the ‘Health Star Rating’. “The sole objective of the stakeholder consultations, which were heavily dominated by the packaged food industry, was to come up with a labelling system, which is industry-friendly,” said Khurana, who was part of these consultations, adding that “all this while, FSSAI has been insensitive to the information needs of the consumer”. He alleged that the statutory body also ignored the global best practices and evidence around it. “Instead, in an orchestrated way, through the scientific panel and commissioned studies, it is now getting ready to adopt a labelling system which is considered least effective and rejected across the world,” he said. Health star ratings are depicted based on an algorithm at the back-end, which is not known to consumers, CSE said, adding that it is only adopted voluntarily in few countries such as Australia and New Zealand and only some food products carry it. It has been rejected in several other countries as it can mislead the consumer and be easily manipulated by the industry, the CSE said. The proven best practice in front-of-pack labelling is nutrient specific ‘warning’ labels, experts said. They have been simple and effective in discouraging junk food consumption. Several Latin American countries, Canada and Israel have already adopted warning labels. Many other countries are considering them. Among them, the best known are symbol-based warning labels such as that of Israel. These will be most suitable for India, as it would transcend the literature and language barriers, the CSE said. “We have submitted our concerns to FSSAI. It can’t allow a system that will effectively nudge the consumer to make unhealthy choices. It will mislead the consumer because of its design, algorithm and inclusion of positive nutrients in the calculation. It can’t allow relaxed limits and voluntary adoption,” Narain said. PTI AG AG CJ CJ

Sustainable Food Systems

Give 'warning' label, not health star rating on junk food packages: experts tell to FSSAI

Health star rating is a labelling system that grades packaged foods on the scale of one to five stars The government should issue a ‘warning' label on packaged junk foods instead of health star ratings as they are misleading and doing more harm to customers than good, health experts said on Wednesday. Health star rating is a labelling system that grades packaged foods on the scale of one to five stars. If the government is serious about the “epidemic” of obesity and non-communicable diseases, the consumer needs to be cautioned about junk foods ... Health star rating is a labelling system that grades packaged foods on the scale of one to five stars. If the government is serious about the “epidemic” of obesity and non-communicable diseases, the consumer needs to be cautioned about junk foods ... Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/national/give-warning-label-not-health-star-rating-on-junk-food-packages-experts-tell-to-fssai-1102339.html