FSSAI Notice For Irresponsible Advertising | 23 Nov 2019
The food regulator of India, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has issued a show cause notice on McDonald’s for belittling freshly cooked food and vegetables in its advertisements to promote fast food.
- FSSAI said that the company has contravened the provisions of Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.
- FSSAI considered the advertisement as an incidence of irresponsible advertising by some food companies to promote sales of their own foods which are often considered unhealthy.
- As per the FSSAI’s regulations, the advertisements should not undermine the importance of healthy lifestyles, and also shall not promote or portray their food & beverages as a meal replacement unless otherwise specifically permitted by FSSAI.
- The Government of India has been taking steps to promote healthy lifestyle. One such is the Eat Right campaign, launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to nudge people towards healthier food choices.
- Also, the World Health Organization (WHO), in its resolution on marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages to children, has asked the member-states to reduce the impact on children of marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt.