Food Star Rating compliance in India - Its need and importance

The packaged food industry has added convenience and availability of ready-to-eat or quick-to-prepare food items to suit the fast-moving lives of people. The real question is - how many times have we wondered the real nutritional value of these products that are consumed fairly on a daily basis. In the light of busy lives, most consumers might skip reading the detailed nutritional value of the items before purchasing. This leads to a misinterpretation of the nutrition leading to over consumption or daily use without knowing its actual health implications. 

The benefits of front-of-pack labelling include:

1. Better Food Consumption Decisions 

Star ratings make it easier to understand the nutritional value of products placed on retail shelves. A clear rating can tell the consumer how healthy the product really is and provide them with clear decision-making for the choice of food for consumption. There may be some food products that consumers enjoy consuming, the star rating will at least provide them with a clear decision making for the frequency of an ideal consumption without causing any health implications.

2. Easy Nutritional Value Comparisons within Food Categories

As consumers, we do spend some time evaluating the nutritional value of similar products in a food category. Let us take biscuits as an example, there are many players in the same market and every product label might contain separate nutritional indications. Easy nutritional value comparisons within food categories will help consumers compare similar products and choose the healthiest among the same category. This will encourage food producers and manufacturers to focus more on providing health and nutrition through their products.

3. Facilitate Nutritional Value Comparisons Across Food Categories

Products like biscuits and cookies might seem to be under the same food category, but are not. Cookies will have a completely different food nutritional value than that of biscuits. A clear front of pack labelling can further help consumers decide the food products that are fitter for consumption. A food star labelling might help resolve this confusion, with clearer information. 

4. Boost Product Reformulation

Front of pack labelling system may encourage food manufacturers to change the formulations of their products and steer it more towards better health and nutrition. Given the increase in food health awareness, consumers are most likely to become more conscious of the choices they make. Hence, the sooner the front of pack labelling comes into picture, the market will start seeing a shift towards healthier food products. 

5. Create a Level Playing Field for Industry

Front of pack labelling encourages the SME food sector to innovate and develop food products with better nutritional value in a category dominated by larger, more established players. This will create a level playing field for all industry players.

Rashida founded LabelBlind® in 2018 with the vision of simplifying food labelling through digitisation