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Responsibility on food firms to pack micronutrients, says FSSAI chief

The food regulator on Tuesday drew attention to the increasing consumption of processed food, while highlighting that food-processing companies have the responsibility of ensuring that packaged food contains the right nutrients. At the same time, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a statement on Tuesday directing all states and Union Territories to intensify inspections and conduct special enforcement drives to curb the illegal use of non-permitted fruit ripening agents, as well as the colouring and coating of fruit with synthetic colours or non-permitted wax. The move is part of the regulator's ongoing efforts to ensure safe food for consumers. 'We have not defined ultra-processed food in India, and any food can be classified as healthy or unhealthy depending on the amount of consumption. It is a great social responsibility of the industry to ensure that you pack your food with micronutrients and use appropriate sources of protein and fats,' said G Kamala Vardhana Rao, chief executive officer at FSSAI, while speaking at the 16th edition of Ficci Foodworld India. Meanwhile, Hemant Malik, Chair of the Ficci food processing committee and executive director at ITC, said that among the broad consumer trends shaping the sector is health and wellness — especially products addressing challenges like protein deficiency and gut wellness. Malik further expressed industry concerns about the labelling debate, advocating for serving-size-based front-of-pack nutrition information rather than per-100-gram measurements. 'The most consumption of packaged food is in small sizes,' he said, while cautioning against broadly categorising packaged food as 'ultra-processed', citing examples such as soy nuggets, which provide affordable protein despite being processed products. At the event, Deloitte and Ficci together launched a report shedding light on the sector's contribution, accounting for roughly 7.7 per cent of India's total manufacturing gross value added. According to the report, titled Spurring Growth: Driving Innovation and Unlocking Opportunities in the Indian Food Processing Sector, the sector is valued at $160 billion and represents nearly 30 per cent of the national food market.