The topic today on Aahaa Kaapi Klub,why is it that the products manufactured in India do not have the ingredients listed on the label? Are there no laws governing that or is there a loophole for that as well?
31 comments:
Anonymous
said...
cos there are loopholes even in the law... thats y things like this happen
Even the same company brands available in India+US follow double standards when it comes to displaying info on the ingredients/nutrient composition.
I have seen even simple "Cumin" pack containing the composition of nutrients(Vitamin+Mineral content !!!) + Allergy info(that this is processed in a wheat/peanut plant) and so so.
But they never forget to mention this-"Product of India" :-))
Good Question here...the answer though is simple, they do this mainly to use substitutes(KALAPADAM)...the government is all at sea knowing all this...even if there is a law it will be followed for a couple of months and then everything goes to the bin!!!
Some cases ingredients are always mentioned..it is only the nutrition facts which are not mentioned..but for food that is exported it has to be there..
Hai akka, They are keen to increase the wrafers beauty (but fake inside)nowadays akka...I think the ingredients must be of India's ''Secret Ingredients'' or some stuff like that,so thats why our India is not revealing the products emphasy. Finally ''India -va thiruthavae mudiyadaa..?.Gods help!
hi , commenting for the frist time .. i attimes browse thru your blog which started after starting watching airtel super singer ..
Today i see a difference in your blog...i always see you writing about your world alone and today i see you blogged about everyone's world ... Nice to see the transformation ....and i think you started realising the power of the media ....
You can do too many good things ..without inviting problems ..Get going ..
Good that u got rid of SUPER SINGER ..else i might have even disliked you too :(
Finally I got something I can post a comment on after a loong time. :)
So lemmi begin wit a big HIIIII to our regular BLOG COMMENTERS.
Loopholes are not a big reason behind this. Thing is this has not been questioned and so has not been answered. All rounds around the law in the country. Foreign country's law says they should be there and so, believe me or not, the same Maggi thats sold for Rs.5 there is sold for $1.25 with just a sticker with ingredients. So its all the rules in a country which matters.
But, there are lot of big things going on in the country coz of these loopholes. So people would simply say, Chal bea Chal !!! Ha ha ha ...
To end up with, let me add in some words about your Airtel Super Singer Bloopers. I know I was late watchin it, but to tell you the truth I enjoyed the entire part of it. All 4 parts in youtube I rolled on the floor laughing. Maaaannn soo much fun it was.. ha ha ha ha ... YOU ROCK UNSAID.....
This happens just because the people who has to wield the stick on the manufacturers doesnot do their job properly. Every Indian mfr looks out for making money and least bothered about the consumers. We also need to educate the consumers and also question the seller.
Well, I am unaware whether there is any law. But in my opinion, there should be a sense of responsibilty in all of us in a country of huge population like ours. Everything cannot be controlled by law.
Adulteration has become a household term in everything we buy. I guess there are some laws pertaining to consumer's safety.
I am new to USA and I am very happy to see that all items contain the list of ingredients and the allergic prone stuffs in that item. Every edible and eatable contains the nutritive value as well. It would be good if they follow such trend in India as well.
Do you think the regional languages play a major role? I am sure, we could have a better system. (Ingredients listing, and calorie listing -- we could soon see them in the stores). Regards, Siva
Good morning! This comment has nothing to do with your post. I read an article on you in today's Hindu - Metroplus Weekend. It was so inspiring. You are definetly a role model for all the young woman. After reading that, I realised you deserve a lot of respect and that's why the conscious use of the "ma'am" in the salutation!!:)
I would have prefered the title of that article to be "Miss Multitasking" rather than "Miss Multimedia". Anyway, Carry on the great work ma'am. You have definetly become MY role model! No wonder you were awarded one of the "amazing women"!
In India the key strategy to sell any product, is its packing and its design(in short attractiveness). If you pack your product really well and advertise it well. 90% of them never cares for what's inside the product,or its quantity and price. Many people buy products because the packing is good, whether it is necessary or not.The best example is the cola, the cost of manufacturing the cola drink is less than a rupee, However they add the cost of designing and advertising (with big stars) pass on these costs to final consumers. Even the cola brand of same quantity but different packing bears different price tags.I think the panner-sodas available at Rs.5 is more refreshing than the expensive cola-brands.
'comfortably numb' is a state of mind one reaches sooner than later in my beloved country, in my only world. keep living and soon you'll get used to it all. keep singing though.
hi, saw an article about u in the hindu, got the url of this blog, checked it out, impressed with your writing and the page views that it gets u, why don't you monetize your blog? i am struggling with my idea of a blog, trying to get it started, great that u are getting to do so many things at a time, running your own company is not a small deal, god is good to some people, u are lucky.
God is as good to you as He is to me. And lucky - well I have my own demons to deal with and maybe you would not want to be in my shoes, 'cos a lot of times they will pinch. In which case you have got to see whether you have made use of as many opportunities that He has presented you with. And create a path of your own.
There are several stakeholders in the labelling process.
Government, Consumers and Manufacturers
The Government is involved in India only to the extent of framing laws (legislature) but the involvement of executive and judiciary is best left to the reader to guess. In US there are largely "independent" Govt agencies like FDA that take care of consumer interests. See their guidelines. But if anyone has been following the labeling in India for the last 20 years, they would notice the presence of nutritional information that have appeared over time. For eg., It is now easier for consumers to shop for non-fatty stuff.
Most consumers aren't brand conscious. Weren't we talking of village folks buying fake Amrutanjan for 4 Rs. less? :-) At least you can muscle the big brands to follow the law. There are so many unregulated manufacturers (not to speak of disposed bottles of foreign wine/liquors etc. making it back to the market). The consumer organizations (IMO) don't have the big backing to carry the battle to the manufacturers or the courts. Of course the consumer courts exist but they exist mainly for individual cases. Not sure if they have the authority to make a difference to ensure compliance. The radical organizations like PETA have definitely made a difference in labeling in the US.
Manufacturers IMO aren't bothered to follow the law unless the compliance mechanisms are effective (as one blogger commented earlier). There is a corporate social responsibility that the companies have to commit to and they have to do it in spirit. There are standards bodies like BIS that exist but I am not sure of their direct influence on labels. You can check their annual report.
Not everything is rosy in labeling. For eg. I leave it to the US folks (especially the vegetarian folks) to find out how their cheese is made. Check the ingredient called rennet. Also, have you ever seen an MRP in a US product? Ofcourse, the competition in US ensures that the lack of transparency is compensated.
btw, I am currently an Indian resident (for last 6 yrs) having lived in US for 10 yrs earlier.
chinmayi, Iread your interview in Hindu. a matured one. then icame to your blog. It is not easy to do multitasking. Eventhough,multitasking is woman's domain,you have explored many different fields. keep doing. mychildren just love the song from KM.keep singing! withregards, jessyvarghese
hi chinamayi i read ur interview in hindu i am so admired by the versatile facets u r carrying with u.
this is the first time i am reading ur blog.
n what happened to ur compereing in vijay tv, my family members r missing u so much, even my kid is asking about ur absence. i read that u got an offer to work with aahaa fm and convinced ourself, that might be the reason for ur absence in the programme
if u believe in god, all our prayers for u keep going regards
31 comments:
cos there are loopholes even in the law... thats y things like this happen
A Valid one, have question many times. They dont have Ingredients, The calorie info and Helpline or contact number in case of problems.
infact the same product sold here in US has all these things listed. !
And the latest craze is no preservative, no artificial reagents.....
And the latest craze is no preservative, no artificial reagents.....
Because if Aachi Masala had "aachi's kaipakkuvam" written on its label, then it would lose its charmth ;)
We Indians keep asking questions like this and no one bothers to answer.
Cheers!!!!!
Perhaps it is not necessary to follow the law just as it's not necessary to have the ingredients listed!
Even the same company brands available in India+US follow double standards when it comes to displaying info on the ingredients/nutrient composition.
I have seen even simple "Cumin" pack containing the composition of nutrients(Vitamin+Mineral content !!!) + Allergy info(that this is processed in a wheat/peanut plant) and so so.
But they never forget to mention this-"Product of India" :-))
Enforcement in India = 0. Besides, awareness isn't great. Add this to the 'Don't care' attitude.
Good Question here...the answer though is simple, they do this mainly to use substitutes(KALAPADAM)...the government is all at sea knowing all this...even if there is a law it will be followed for a couple of months and then everything goes to the bin!!!
Some cases ingredients are always mentioned..it is only the nutrition facts which are not mentioned..but for food that is exported it has to be there..
THere is a law. It is called the STANDARDS OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACT. I should know. I'm a lawyer !!!
Hai akka,
They are keen to increase the wrafers beauty (but fake inside)nowadays akka...I think the ingredients must be of India's ''Secret Ingredients'' or some stuff like that,so thats why our India is not revealing the products emphasy.
Finally ''India -va thiruthavae mudiyadaa..?.Gods help!
hi ,
commenting for the frist time .. i attimes browse thru your blog which started after starting watching airtel super singer ..
Today i see a difference in your blog...i always see you writing about your world alone and today i see you blogged about everyone's world ... Nice to see the transformation ....and i think you started realising the power of the media ....
You can do too many good things ..without inviting problems ..Get going ..
Good that u got rid of SUPER SINGER ..else i might have even disliked you too :(
That is because there is no law in India to have the ingredients/calorie information on the items.
Come on Chinmayi!
How can you expect manufacturers to publish information about the adulteration info on the label. That is a trade secret :)
Regards
R Sathyamurthy
Finally I got something I can post a comment on after a loong time. :)
So lemmi begin wit a big HIIIII to our regular BLOG COMMENTERS.
Loopholes are not a big reason behind this. Thing is this has not been questioned and so has not been answered. All rounds around the law in the country. Foreign country's law says they should be there and so, believe me or not, the same Maggi thats sold for Rs.5 there is sold for $1.25 with just a sticker with ingredients. So its all the rules in a country which matters.
But, there are lot of big things going on in the country coz of these loopholes. So people would simply say, Chal bea Chal !!! Ha ha ha ...
To end up with, let me add in some words about your Airtel Super Singer Bloopers. I know I was late watchin it, but to tell you the truth I enjoyed the entire part of it. All 4 parts in youtube I rolled on the floor laughing. Maaaannn soo much fun it was.. ha ha ha ha ... YOU ROCK UNSAID.....
Cheers and keep rocking.
huh!
Is it true that they lie about the ingredients?
damn, i tot only india produced products with all natural ingredients.
This happens just because the people who has to wield the stick on the manufacturers doesnot do their job properly.
Every Indian mfr looks out for making money and least bothered about the consumers.
We also need to educate the consumers and also question the seller.
Well, I am unaware whether there is any law. But in my opinion, there should be a sense of responsibilty in all of us in a country of huge population like ours. Everything cannot be controlled by law.
Adulteration has become a household term in everything we buy. I guess there are some laws pertaining to consumer's safety.
I am new to USA and I am very happy to see that all items contain the list of ingredients and the allergic prone stuffs in that item. Every edible and eatable contains the nutritive value as well. It would be good if they follow such trend in India as well.
~PV
Do you think the regional languages play a major role? I am sure, we could have a better system. (Ingredients listing, and calorie listing -- we could soon see them in the stores).
Regards,
Siva
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/02/21/stories/2009022151491200.htm
Congrats Miss Multimedia :)
hello chinmayi ma'am.
Good morning!
This comment has nothing to do with your post. I read an article on you in today's Hindu - Metroplus Weekend. It was so inspiring. You are definetly a role model for all the young woman. After reading that, I realised you deserve a lot of respect and that's why the conscious use of the "ma'am" in the salutation!!:)
I would have prefered the title of that article to be "Miss Multitasking" rather than "Miss Multimedia". Anyway, Carry on the great work ma'am. You have definetly become MY role model! No wonder you were awarded one of the "amazing women"!
ROCK ON!!ma'am....
Regards,
Swetha :)
In India the key strategy to sell any product, is its packing and its design(in short attractiveness). If you pack your product really well and advertise it well. 90% of them never cares for what's inside the product,or its quantity and price.
Many people buy products because the packing is good, whether it is necessary or not.The best example is the cola, the cost of manufacturing the cola drink is less than a rupee, However they add the cost of designing and advertising (with big stars) pass on these costs to final consumers.
Even the cola brand of same quantity but different packing bears different price tags.I think the panner-sodas available at Rs.5 is more refreshing than the expensive cola-brands.
'comfortably numb' is a state of mind one reaches sooner than later in my beloved country, in my only world. keep living and soon you'll get used to it all. keep singing though.
hi, saw an article about u in the hindu, got the url of this blog, checked it out, impressed with your writing and the page views that it gets u, why don't you monetize your blog? i am struggling with my idea of a blog, trying to get it started, great that u are getting to do so many things at a time, running your own company is not a small deal, god is good to some people, u are lucky.
God is as good to you as He is to me. And lucky - well I have my own demons to deal with and maybe you would not want to be in my shoes, 'cos a lot of times they will pinch. In which case you have got to see whether you have made use of as many opportunities that He has presented you with. And create a path of your own.
There are several stakeholders in the labelling process.
Government, Consumers and Manufacturers
The Government is involved in India only to the extent of framing laws (legislature) but the involvement of executive and judiciary is best left to the reader to guess. In US there are largely "independent" Govt agencies like FDA that take care of consumer interests. See their guidelines. But if anyone has been following the labeling in India for the last 20 years, they would notice the presence of nutritional information that have appeared over time. For eg., It is now easier for consumers to shop for non-fatty stuff.
Most consumers aren't brand conscious. Weren't we talking of village folks buying fake Amrutanjan for 4 Rs. less? :-) At least you can muscle the big brands to follow the law. There are so many unregulated manufacturers (not to speak of disposed bottles of foreign wine/liquors etc. making it back to the market). The consumer organizations (IMO) don't have the big backing to carry the battle to the manufacturers or the courts. Of course the consumer courts exist but they exist mainly for individual cases. Not sure if they have the authority to make a difference to ensure compliance. The radical organizations like PETA have definitely made a difference in labeling in the US.
Manufacturers IMO aren't bothered to follow the law unless the compliance mechanisms are effective (as one blogger commented earlier). There is a corporate social responsibility that the companies have to commit to and they have to do it in spirit. There are standards bodies like BIS that exist but I am not sure of their direct influence on labels. You can check their annual report.
Not everything is rosy in labeling. For eg. I leave it to the US folks (especially the vegetarian folks) to find out how their cheese is made. Check the ingredient called rennet. Also, have you ever seen an MRP in a US product? Ofcourse, the competition in US ensures that the lack of transparency is compensated.
btw, I am currently an Indian resident (for last 6 yrs) having lived in US for 10 yrs earlier.
chinmayi,
Iread your interview in Hindu. a matured one. then icame to your blog. It is not easy to do multitasking. Eventhough,multitasking is woman's domain,you have explored many different fields. keep doing. mychildren just love the song from KM.keep singing!
withregards,
jessyvarghese
hi chinamayi
i read ur interview in hindu
i am so admired by the versatile facets u r carrying with u.
this is the first time i am reading ur blog.
n what happened to ur compereing in vijay tv, my family members r missing u so much, even my kid is asking about ur absence.
i read that u got an offer to work with aahaa fm and convinced ourself, that might be the reason for ur absence in the programme
if u believe in god, all our prayers for u
keep going
regards
Here.. u go..
Mr.Anbumani Ramadoss.. just answered ur question.. :-)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/You-will-soon-know-what-you-are-eating/articleshow/4179455.cms
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