In the recent times FMCG companies have faced increased scrutiny on their products. In an article published in Economic Times, dated 22nd April 2024, it was highlighted how product safety concerns have multiplied multi-fold due to a spate of reports on the same. The recent article on Nestle adding sugar to infant foods was widely circulated. While there was no violation of the regulation, the consumers continue to assign the moral responsibility of the incident to the manufacturer. In an online poll conducted by Food Safety Works on LinkedIn, of the 161 respondents so far, 60% of the respondents thought it was a regulator’s responsibility to set the right norms, but 40% still thought that Nestle was responsible. We expect that general population that is less aware of the regulation will tend sway against the company with social media influencers only pushing the boundaries further.

On a similar note, our review of the study done by Dr. Abbey Philips which we had published earlier showed that as per the regulation, only 3 products actually violated the same. However, The print chose to put the violation at 70% which is not factual. The study itself did not call out the violation though, which presented the data accurately, the manner in which it was presented in the article was not correct.

Despite this, manufacturers have to become a lot more conscious to the fact that food is a sensitive topic and just going by the regulation may not be enough. The companies must go that extra mile to ensure that they are just not being driven by business but are also playing their part in customer education and helping them make the right choices. Food Safety regulations are new to the country and there is a lot of consumer education required for them to understand what information they should look for and where to find it.

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