After Supreme Court Rap, FSSAI Proposes Pictorial Front-of-Pack Warning Labels For Packaged Foods High In Sugar, Salt & Fat
The red labels are proposed to be added informing consumers of high added sugar, salt or fat in packaged foods.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed introducing red-coloured hexagonal warning labels on packaged food products high in sugar, saturated fat and salt.
The proposal was placed before a Supreme Court Bench on Friday through a six-page compliance affidavit, filed in a Public Interest Litigation seeking mandatory front-of-pack warning labels for packaged foods high in fat, sugar and salt.
The FSSAI said the proposed labels would be in pictorial form and designed to provide consumers with a “simple, prominent and easily comprehensible warning” about products high in specified nutrients of concern.
Under the proposal, a red hexagonal warning label would be displayed on products that are high in any two or more of the specified nutrients : added saturated fat, added sugar and salt. The thresholds would be based on the Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024, issued by the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition.
The warning would carry declarations such as “High Fat”, “High Sugar”, “High Salt” and “Highly Sweetened Beverage”, depending on the composition of the product.
The FSSAI has proposed that the warning be displayed in a font size one point larger than the font used in the nutrition information table on the back of the pack, making it more prominent for consumers.
Two-phase implementation proposed
The regulator has proposed a two-phase implementation of the FoP warning system, saying the approach would give the food industry adequate time for reformulation while ensuring that consumers' right to information is not compromised.
In Phase I, products high in two or more specified nutrients, along with specified sweetened beverages, would come within the warning regime.
In Phase II, the requirement would be extended to products high in any one of the specified nutrients.
The FSSAI said the proposed mechanism was intended particularly to facilitate informed food choices among children and other vulnerable sections of the population.
Exemptions for foods inherently rich in fat, sugar/salt
The proposed FoP requirement would not apply to single-ingredient food products or foods that are inherently rich in fat, sugar or salt.
The affidavit specifically refers to products such as ghee, edible oil, salt, sugar, jaggery and honey. These products, however, would continue to be governed by other requirements under the applicable food safety and labelling regulations.
FSSAI action comes after Supreme Court's rap
The FSSAI has retracted from its earlier decision against imposing warning labels a fortnight after the Supreme Court had questioned the regulator's failure to introduce interpretive FoP labels that would clearly indicate the levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat in packaged foods.
The Bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice K Vinod Chandran had criticised the FSSAI for its departure from an earlier position taken during the consultative process, when the regulator had favoured an interpretive labelling system over a more complex nutrition table. Instead of warning labels, the FSSAI proposed displaying the daily recommended limits for added sugar, added saturated fat and salt in a pictorial format based on the 2024 ICMR–NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians. This was not appreciated by the Court, as such information is not easily relatable to the common people. The bench had asked if the FSSAI was succumbing to the pressure from the food industry.
The Bench also questioned the Union's stand that international standards cannot be applied here, asking if India should remain underdeveloped. The Bench particularly shared its concerns over the health of children, who are most likely to be attracted to such packaged food items.
Stressing that citizens' health was important, the Court had asked the authorities to come up with a proper regulations, warning that a judicial order would be passed if they failed.
The development took place in the PIL filed by 3S And Our Health Society.
Case Details: 3S AND OUR HEALTH SOCIETY v UNION OF INDIA AND ANR|15 MA 1177/2025 in W.P.(C) No. 437/2024