FSSAI recommends inclusion of QR Codes

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recommended inclusion of QR Codes on food products for accessibility by visually impaired individuals.

The FSSAI has issued a notification encouraging Food Business Operators (FBOs) to incorporate provisions that facilitate easy access to nutritional information for visually impaired individuals.

The statutory body felt that one effective means to achieve this is by incorporating Quick Response (QR) codes on product labels. It instructed that these QR codes should encompass comprehensive details about the product, including, but not limited to, ingredients, nutritional information, allergens, manufacturing date, best before/expiry/use by date, allergen warning, and contact information for customer inquiries.

FSSAI reasoned that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognizes the rights and needs of individuals with disabilities, which emphasizes accessibility and the promotion of health for persons with disabilities. Ensuring inclusive access to information is a fundamental right of citizens, and it is imperative that food products are labelled in a manner that ensures accessibility to all consumers, including those with visual impairments.

However, it has also highlighted that the inclusion of a QR code for the accessibility of information does not replace or negate the requirement to provide mandatory information on the product label, as prescribed by relevant regulations.

FSSAI, under its Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Regulations, 2020, has comprehensively outlined the information to be included on the labels of food products. This information includes product name, shelf life, nutrition facts, vegetarian/non-vegetarian logos, ingredient lists, allergen warnings, and other product specific labelling requirements. This wealth of information empowers consumers to make informed choices when selecting food products, said a FSSAI official.