FSSAI Plans Red Labels for Foods High in Sugar, Salt and Fat

Two weeks after the Supreme Court questioned the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) reluctance to implement such warnings, the regulator has proposed prominent red warning labels on the front of packaged foods high in added fat, added sugar or salt.

According to the regulator, the strategy is designed to help people make informed food choices, especially children and other vulnerable groups.

Red labels to flag unhealthy foods

The plan, revealed in a compliance affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on Thursday, calls for a red hexagonal warning to be placed on the front of food packaging when a product contains two or more of the designated nutrients of concern, such as fat, sugar or salt. The thresholds would be based on the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024. The labels are intended to help consumers quickly identify such products.

Depending on which nutrients exceed the recommended limits, the proposed warning would include labels such as "HIGH FAT," "HIGH SUGAR" and "HIGH SALT." Products that meet two criteria would carry two warnings, such as "HIGH FAT HIGH SALT" or "HIGH FAT HIGH SUGAR." A separate warning, "HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE," has also been proposed for certain sweetened drinks.

FSSAI proposes larger front-pack warning labels

The FSSAI said the plan was created to provide consumers with "simple, prominent, and easily comprehensible" information about food items rich in particular nutrients of concern.

According to the affidavit submitted by FSSAI Joint Director Dr Kavitha Ramasamy, the proposed labels would have to be displayed in a font size one point larger than the font used in the nutritional information table on the back of the pack.

The change follows the Supreme Court's intervention on August 13, when a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran granted the Centre and FSSAI two weeks to record their final decision on front-of-pack labelling.

SC pushes for warning labels on unhealthy foods

The court questioned whether food manufacturers were exerting pressure on the FSSAI to avoid imposing warning labels on products high in sugar, salt and saturated fat.

“You don’t want people of this country to remain healthy? More particularly growing children?” the bench had asked, warning the authorities: “This is your last chance. Next time we will dictate the judgement.”

The court made it clear that it was more concerned with ensuring that consumers, especially children, were aware of what they were consuming before making a decision than with banning any specific product.

According to the affidavit, which was submitted in accordance with the August 13 ruling, the FSSAI has now drafted the proposal and plans to adopt the front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FoPNL) system gradually. The phased implementation would give the food industry sufficient time for reformulation and consumers time to adapt to the new system.