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Food regulator ropes in advertising council to put check on misleading ads

In a move aimed at safeguarding the interests of consumers, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has roped in the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) to keep a check on misleading advertisements in food and beverages sector. An MoU has been signed by the food regular and advertising council in this regard.

According to the agreement, the ASCI would comprehensively monitor fraudulent advertisements across various media as it has been given a suo moto monitoring mandate by the FSSAI to process complaints against misleading food and beverages advertisements.

The MoU also requires the advertising council to report to the FSSAI about non-compliance of the ASCI’s decisions for further action as required as per the provisions of the FSSAI Act.

The FSSAI would also redirect complaints against misleading advertisements to the ASCI, which would be reviewed using the ASCI’s code and guidelines. The review would include violation of the FSSAI Act and regulations related to advertisements making misleading, unsubstantiated or false claims.

Commenting on the development, FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said, “The food regulator has taken a serious view of misleading advertisements related to food and to effectively handle the same, an MoU with the ASCI has been inked. It would provide paradigm shift towards handling such scenario and would also bring transparency and accountability with stakeholder’s participation”.

ASCI chairman Benoy Roychowdhury said, “The partnership with FSSAI will augment our efforts in putting a check on misleading advertisements. Food and beverages consumed on a daily basis are impacting the health of millions of consumers. Reining in misleading advertisements for this important sector would be a key priority for the ASCI.”

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