NEW DELHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed introducing prominent red warning labels on packaged foods containing excessive levels of sugar, salt or saturated fat, marking a significant shift in India’s long-running debate over front-of-pack nutrition labelling.
In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the food regulator has proposed a bright red hexagonal symbol, resembling a stop sign, to be displayed prominently on the front of packages that breach prescribed nutritional limits.
Under the proposal, products exceeding the specified thresholds would carry warnings such as “HIGH SUGAR,” “HIGH SALT” or “HIGH FAT” in clearly visible lettering. Reuters reported that the proposed framework also provides for a warning identifying highly sweetened beverages.
The warning text would be printed in a font at least one point larger than that used in the nutritional information table on the back of the package, with the objective of making potentially unhealthy nutrient levels immediately visible to consumers.
The proposal follows sustained scrutiny by the Supreme Court over delays in introducing effective front-of-pack warnings for foods high in fat, sugar and salt.
The court has been hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by NGO 3S and Our Health Society seeking clearer warnings on packaged foods amid concerns over childhood obesity and rising consumption of unhealthy and ultra-processed products.
A Bench led by Justice J B Pardiwala had recently questioned the regulator over delays in implementing such warnings and stressed the importance of protecting consumer health, particularly that of children.
Two-Phase Rollout Proposed
According to the latest proposal, the warning-label regime would be introduced in two phases.
In the first phase, packages containing excessive levels of two or more of the specified nutrients — sugar, salt or fat — would be required to display the warning.
The second phase would extend the requirement to products exceeding the prescribed limit for even one of the nutrients.
Certain basic single-ingredient foods, including ghee, edible oil, salt, sugar, jaggery and honey, are proposed to be exempt from the front-of-pack warning requirement.
The latest position represents a significant change from an earlier FSSAI proposal this month that favoured displaying recommended daily limits and nutrient values rather than prominent warning symbols. Public-health campaigners had criticised that approach as difficult for consumers to interpret at a glance.
Food Industry Pushes Back
The proposed warnings have also sharpened differences between public-health advocates and major food and beverage companies.
Reuters reported that companies including Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo, or industry groups representing them, had opposed aspects of earlier front-of-pack warning proposals, arguing that such labels could confuse consumers and questioning their effectiveness.
Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, meanwhile, has urged food companies to look beyond minimum regulatory compliance and act with greater responsibility towards consumers.
Mundhe said businesses have a wider societal obligation and maintained that clear labelling could help consumers make informed choices and strengthen preventive healthcare.
The proposed system, if finally approved and notified, could substantially alter the appearance of packaged food products sold across India and give consumers an immediate visual indication when a product contains high levels of potentially harmful nutrients.
