FSSAI recommends QR code on food labels

India’s apex food regulator body, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recommended the inclusion of QR code on food products for accessibility by visually impaired individuals to ensure access to safe food.

FSSAI advisory reads that the Food Business Operators (FBOs) are encouraged to incorporate provisions that facilitate easy access to nutritional information for visually impaired individuals. One effective means to achieve this is by incorporating QR codes on product labels.

According to advisory, 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.

Food regulator underlined that it is pertinent to note 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.