2024-05-01 08:49:40
New Delhi: The government formulated an action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases seven years ago. In this scheme, strict action was taken against advertising and promotion of unhealthy food items especially to children. But even after so many years, no action has been taken on this. Recently, the Supreme Court also raised the issue of advertisements of unhealthy food. The court, while hearing a petition on Patanjali’s misleading advertisements, had said that this scope should be expanded so that all those advertisements can be included which mislead people. Especially such advertisements which have a bad effect on the health of children and women, who are using these products on the basis of wrong information.
responsibility was assigned
In the government’s action plan for 2017, responsibilities were assigned to many ministries. Such as Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food Distribution, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Health. These ministries were to work together to control advertisements of unhealthy food items (such as Maggi, cold drinks, chips etc.), alcohol and tobacco.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the Health Ministry, was supposed to make it mandatory to provide nutritional information on the front of the packet and detailed information on the back of the pack, but till now no significant work has been done. Many experts say that the Health Ministry had replied that regular meetings are held on this scheme, but the meetings did not yield any results.