New Delhi, March 25 Rajya Sabha Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan urged the government on Wednesday to mandate the prominent display of information about sugar, salt, and additives on the front of packaged food, with color codes, to improve public understanding.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the House, the Congress MP stated that the country is facing a serious health crisis.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, approximately 100 million people in the country are suffering from diabetes, she said.
She also cited the National Family Health Survey, which states that every fourth adult in India is afflicted with obesity.
"This is not just data; it's a warning that our eating habits are making us unhealthy," she said.
The Congress MP stated that the problem stems from a lack of clear nutritional information.
Food packets do contain such information about food items, but it is provided in small print on the back of the packet and in complex language, she said.
Ordinary consumers find it difficult to understand the information provided on the packets, she said.
"If the front of the packet itself uses red-yellow-green colors to indicate which elements are present in higher or lower amounts, then anyone can easily understand it," Ranjan said.
She demanded a clear and effective policy on packaged food, and that information about the food items should be on the front of the packet in clear and large letters.
The Congress member asked the government to make a color-coded warning system on food packets, in line with WHO recommendations, mandatory.