Indian Sellers Collective, an umbrella body of trade associations and sellers across the country, has outrightly trashed the WHO backed report “The growth of ultra-processed foods in India: An analysis of trends, issues and policy recommendations”, saying that it hurts the interests of the domestic traditional food manufacturers.
The Indian Sellers Collective has alleged that the report by the WHO is a proxy report on behalf of global Cola and food MNCs who are pushing their agenda to undermine Indian traditional food and facilitate the takeover of the Indian foods market by popular foreign foods and proliferate the growth of foreign companies that make such products.
The body has also made a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protect their interests and initiate an investigation into the WHO report.
In July 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) had released a report classifying that aspartame, one of the world’s most common artificial sweeteners is possibly carcinogenic or cancerous to humans.
Aspartame is used in diet soft drinks and remains a preferred choice for many who consider it as an healthy option vis-Ã -vis non sugar-free added soft beverages.
To decrease the cost of zero-sugar soft drinks and make them more accessible to Indian consumers, the WHO report in question proposes that zero-sugar carbonated drinks should not be classified under the same GST category as all carbonated drinks, which currently carry a 28% tax rate coupled with a 12% sin tax, totalling 40%.
“However, it’s worth noting that in May 2023, WHO introduced new guidelines on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS). These guidelines advise against the use of NSS for weight control or reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs),” said the Indian sellers Colelctive.
Abhay Raj Mishra, Member & National Coordinator, Indian Sellers Collective, alleged that “This WHO report contradicts its own advisory of advocating prohibition of non-sugar sweeteners, commonly found in zero-sugar carbonated drinks.
“This contradictory stance appears to push a biased narrative by the global body, suggesting an agenda to promote products from multinational corporations in the Indian market. This positioning of carcinogenic non-sugar sweeteners by WHO is clearly geared to suit the interests of a few at the cost of the health of millions of Indians.”
The Collective also expressed dismay at the WHO report advocating the implementation of the Draft Notifications on Food Safety and Standards (Labelling & Display) Amendment Regulations (2022) proposed by the FSSAI.