WHO Latest Report on Food Advertisements Fraud: When big celebrities praise a product on TV, then we, and common people like you, assume that that product will be very good. After that, we buy that product and bring it home. To increase the sales of their products, companies make claims to increase the height, immunity, stamina, and memory of children. Their marketing is done in such a way that even if we don't want to, we buy that product for our children. Realizing that it is being advertised by big celebrities. If the company is also old and reliable, then the product must be genuine. But this is the trap of big companies in which the customer gets trapped.
Advertisements proving fatal for children
Most people will not know that these advertisements of food items (Food Advertisements Fraud) are proving fatal for children. This thing has been said by WHO i.e. World Health Organization. WHO has said this after 200 medical studies on children's food advertising since 2009. Alluring catch lines, slogans, and products that give humans the superpowers of superheroes are making children sick. Children are becoming the biggest victims of such advertisements and food products.
WHO has also issued guidelines to protect children from the tempting promotions of companies. It has been recommended to all countries that every country should make policies regarding those products in which the amount of fat, trans fat, sugar or salt, or any substance is more than the prescribed standard. The World Health Organization has also talked about bringing the advertisements of companies under the purview of the law.
WHO made these recommendations to the governments?
All countries define foods and non-alcoholic beverages according to WHO. By doing this, all these will come under the purview of the rules and the responsibilities of the products will also be fixed. Governments should implement a model for the foods to be banned as soon as possible. The use of cartoons or technology that attracts children should be limited.
Many companies show toys, songs, and celebrities in advertisements, many companies sell their products by talking about immunity boosting, brain sharpening, and body growth. While these companies do not have scientific facts.
People don't pay attention to this
Generally, children in every household see advertisements for many things like chocolate, snacks, biscuits, pizza, and burgers on TV. After this, they start asking for the same thing. Children or their parents pay attention to the price and expiry date while buying food items but they do not pay attention to the number of ingredients used in that product. Companies take advantage of this.
The maximum marketing is of fast food, cold drinks, chocolates, snacks, and sweets. These things are also liked by children the most. That is, under a well-thought-out strategy, companies get attractive advertisements prepared. Not only excessive sugar-salt or chemicals in the product, but the advertisements of companies are also making children sick, but people are not told about it.
Companies trap with catchy slogans
Not everyone understands the language of nutritionists and ingredients. But the way companies give slogans and catchy lines of advertisement is understood by everyone. We eat without seeing how much salt, sugar, fat, chemical, and color is there in the product. This is the game of marketing of companies in which anyone can get trapped.
Sugar, salt, and trans fat over the prescribed quantity harm the health. But still, there are many such products in the market in which their quantity is more than the prescribed standard. According to WHO, a person should take only 10 percent of the day's calorie requirement from added sugar. WHO has also recommended reducing this quantity to 5 grams. Research even says that if sugar-mixed drinks are taken daily, then the memory of a person can go away.
Rules not yet implemented in the country
The government organization that makes rules regarding food items in India is the Food Safety Standards Authority of India. FSSAI prepared a draft in the year 2018. It was said that if the amount of salt, sugar, or fat in a packet is high, then information about it will have to be given on the front of the packet. But this rule has not yet been implemented.
There are thousands of products in the market. But packaged products are making sick instead of making them health. Till strict laws are not made in India and the arbitrariness of big multinational companies continues, till then it is only your responsibility to take a careful decision.
You can complain about companies here
Every customer has the right to get information about the quality, quantity, purity, standard, and price of the goods available in the market. If you feel that companies are doing misleading propaganda or giving wrong information on the packet, then you can also complain about it. Any customer can complain through FSSAI i.e. Food Safety Standards Authority of India website, phone, email, social media account.
If someone is giving misleading information, the customer can also register his complaint with the State Authority of FSSAI. Food commissioners are appointed in the state. By going to whom the customer can register his complaint. The numbers of these food commissioners are also available on the FSSAI website. Complaints can also be made by visiting FSSAI's online platform 'Food Safety Voice'. Apart from this, there is the Food Safety Connect app of FSSAI. A complaint can be made against the company even after downloading it.
Be a health-conscious citizen
Apart from this, if a company gives wrong and misleading information in its advertisement , then a complaint can also be filed with the Advertising Standards Council of India. You must have often seen that advertisement on TV in which people are asked to become conscious customers, so you also become a conscious customer. Take this matter seriously because it is an issue related to your health and that of your children.
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