Religious organisations like Akhil Bharatvarshiya Brahmin Mahasabha, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Patalpuri Sanatan Dharma Raksha Parishad, and several saints from Varanasi have joined health experts and activists in seeking mandatory easy-to-understand front-of-pack-labelling (FOPL) warnings on pre-packaged

foods.

They have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard, even as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has proposed a Health Star Rating (HSR) label in its draft notification.

They were of the opinion that FOPL with a warning be made compulsory so that consumers can get the right to choose healthy options when picking foods laden with high sugar, salt and fat.

Naveen Giri, President of Akhil Bharatvarshiya Brahman Mahasabha, said: “FOPL with warning level can prove to be the most effective, which helps the consumer to make healthy choices, how much sugar, fat and salt is in the packaged food, which will help in preventing serious diseases especially non-communicable diseases.”

Speaking to reporters here at a press conference on Wednesday, Dr Arun Gupta, public health expert, and convener of NAPa felt that HSR will not only fail to enable consumers to make healthy choices but also mislead them about their nutritional value.

Ashim Sanyal of Consumer Voice too agreed with Dr Gupta arguing that the decision was based on an Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Ahmedabad study commissioned by the FSSAI while voices of the health experts and AIIMS reports have been ignored.