Overview

• On July 31, BJP MP Ravi Kishan demanded during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha that the government enact a law to standardise food prices, portion sizes and quality at eateries nationwide
• He highlighted that the price and size of common snacks vary significantly, noting samosas sold for different rates and dal tadka priced from ₹100 up to ₹1,000
• Kishan urged that restaurant menus clearly display the quantity of each dish and specify the type of oil or ghee used, equating it to packaged foods’ weight and ingredient labels
• Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, packaged foods must show weight and ingredients but unbranded restaurant meals face no such regulation, creating consumer uncertainty with rising costs
• The proposal has drawn both ridicule and support on social media and has yet to receive a formal response from the government as Parliament considers next steps