Food Sector Warns New Labelling Rules Unworkable and Costly

Sri Lanka’s food and beverage industry has raised alarm over new food labelling and advertising regulations coming into force today, calling them impractical and potentially harmful to manufacturers. Enforced by the Health Ministry and Consumer Affairs Authority, the rules mandate detailed product declarations—including nutritional content, allergen warnings, and trilingual labelling—regardless of packaging size.

Industry stakeholders say key concerns, such as limited space on small packages and lack of testing facilities for certain nutritional metrics, remain unaddressed. They also criticized inconsistencies in advertising restrictions and unclear exemptions for handcrafted or cottage industry products, warning of regulatory imbalance.

Despite earlier discussions with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, no revised gazette has been issued. Many manufacturers have delayed costly label changes awaiting clarity.

The sector questioned the public health focus of the policy, citing other contributing factors like agrochemical use and sedentary lifestyles. Manufacturers warn that compliance costs could force price hikes, despite absorbing previous increases

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