ACTION AGAINST MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS

ACTION AGAINST
MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS
The Food Safety and standards Authority of India has directed the State Food Safety Commissioner to scrutinise and initiate stringent action against advertisements which raise misleading claims on the quality of food and beverages being marketed in the state.
Several products are being marketed using advertisements in the print and electronic media. The Companies which sell various foods and health drinks claim that their products improve health and long evity. This is felt to be an attempt to exploit the public on the strength, reach and influence of the media and hence stringent action has been proposed. Being a consumer’s state, all major companies identified Kerala as a potential market and this may lead to an unhealthy competition among them to lure the consumers. The Act has provisions to take action against companies which make misleading claims on the wrapper or label of the products. Shall not use the expressions’ super-refined, extra-refined, micro-refined, double-refined, ultra-refined, anti-cholesterol, cholesterol fighter, soothing to heart, such other expressions which are an exaggeration of the quality of the product.
The cases will be registered under the Food Safety and standards Act and guilty, it will invite a penalty of Rs 10 lakh. To prove the claim will be on the company and it should be supported with scientific evidence too.
Prof. John Kurakar