Indian Nutrition Rating (INR)

In News: NAPi, a think tank focused on nutrition policy, has provided support to the social media influencer involved in the Cadbury's Bournvita controversy.

About

• INR mandates pre-packaged foods to carry a star rating to discourage the consumption of foods high in sugar, salt, and fats.
• The INR system rates the overall nutritional profile for packaged food by assigning it a rating from ½ % star (least healthy) to 5 stars (healthiest).
• More stars indicate the food product is better positioned to provide for the daily human need of nutrients.
• The rating shall be displayed close in proximity to the name or brand name of the product on front of the pack.
• To generate the star-rating logo for the product, food businesses have to submit nutritional profiles of the products concerned on FSSAI’s FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System) portal.
• Front Labelling: The FSSAI has been discussing the possibility of front-of-pack labeling. According to this, brands would need to put a notification indicating if a food product was high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS).

Rating Process:

• Items would be given scores based on contribution of energy and content of saturated fat, sugar, sodium, fruit and vegetables (FV), nuts, legumes, and millets (NLM), dietary fibre, and protein per 100 gm of solid or 100 ml liquid foods.
• Solid food with a score of more than 25 will be given 0.5 stars, and those with a score less than – (minus)11 will get 5 stars.

Exempted Products under Indian Nutrition Rating

• Foods including milk and milk products, whey, butter oil, ghee, vegetable oil and fat, fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, fresh and frozen meat, eggs, fish, flour, and sweeteners will not be required to display the star rating.
• Carbonated beverages without any energy or sugar will also not be eligible for declaring the rating.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act). Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the administrative Ministry of FSSAI.

Functions of FSSAI

• Framing of regulations to lay down the standards and guidelines of food safety.
• Granting FSSAI food safety license and certification for food businesses.
• Laying down procedure and guidelines for laboratories in food businesses.
• To provide suggestions to the government in framing the policies.
• To collect data regarding contaminants in foods products, identification of emerging risks and introduction of rapid alert system.
• Creating an information network across the country about food safety.
• Promote general awareness about food safety and food standards.

Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi):

• Nutrition advocacy in public interest is an essential aspect of promoting healthy eating habits and improving the overall health and wellbeing of a population. It involves the promotion of policies, programs, and initiatives aimed at improving access to nutritious food, providing education on healthy eating habits, and reducing barriers to healthy eating.

Source:

https://epaper.thehindu.com/ccidist-ws/th/th_delhi/issues/33163/OPS/GLUB4PB66.1+GNJB4PQ3F.1.html