The front-of-the-pack nutritional labelling (FOPNL) of pre-packaged foods to put MSMEs in trouble, says the Indian Sellers Collective. The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) introduced the draft of the front-of-the-pack nutritional labelling in September 2022. As per the draft, the packaged foods will be given star ratings such as ‘one-star food’, ‘two-star food’, ‘good food’ and ‘not-good food’. The rating will be determined based on the quantity of salt, sugar and fat in the food. The report suggests that traditional Indian snacks are rich in these elements and would be labelled as ‘unhealthy’. Murukku, Gulab Jamun, Burfi, and Lassi are a few examples of this. It would be difficult for MSMEs to change the nutrient composition of these snacks to receive a better health star rating. The food processing industry covers about 32 per cent of India’s total food market. MSME handles 79 per cent of the food processing industry. The businesses are located mostly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
