Consumers may soon find a clear red warning on the front of packaged food products when they contain high levels of salt, sugar or fat. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has agreed to introduce prominent red-coloured hexagonal warning labels to make it easier for people to identify foods high in nutrients of concern.
The regulator informed the Supreme Court about its decision through a compliance affidavit filed in response to the court’s August 13 order on front-of-pack labelling (FoPL).
The proposed system is aimed at helping consumers understand important nutritional information quickly, without having to study detailed information printed on the back of a packet.
What will the new warning labels say?
Under the proposed framework, packaged food products crossing specified nutrient limits will carry clear warnings on the front of the package. Depending on their nutritional content, the warnings will read:
“HIGH FAT”
“HIGH SALT”
“HIGH SUGAR”
The labels will use a red hexagonal design, making them easy to notice while shopping.
The system is based on nutrient thresholds prescribed under the Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024, issued by the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN).
Single-ingredient foods to be exempted
FSSAI has proposed that certain single-ingredient foods will not have to carry these warning labels, subject to applicable food safety and labelling regulations.
These include products such as ghee, edible oil, salt, sugar, jaggery and honey.
The regulator has also proposed introducing the front-of-pack warning system in phases rather than bringing all requirements into force at once.
Two-phase implementation
Under the proposed plan:
Phase I will cover products that are high in two or more specified nutrients.
Phase II will expand the warnings to products that are high in any one specified nutrient.
The phased approach is intended to give the food industry time to make changes and, where required, reformulate products.
Why is front-of-pack labelling being introduced?
The move comes amid concerns about public health and the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity.
The Supreme Court has observed that clear front-of-pack information could help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions.
Instead of requiring shoppers to examine lengthy nutritional information, the proposed warning system would immediately highlight whether a product contains high levels of nutrients that may be a concern when consumed in excess.
FSSAI described the proposed system as a simple, prominent and easily understandable warning for consumers.
Study shows warning labels can improve identification
An India-based study involving 2,869 adults across six states tested different front-of-pack labelling systems through a randomised experiment.
The findings shown in the information provided indicate that only 39.1% of participants correctly identified all products high in sugar, saturated fat or sodium when there was no warning label.
With warning labels, the figure increased to 60.8% — an improvement of 21.7 percentage points.
The study also found that warning labels performed better than other tested systems, including traffic-light labels, GDA and Health Star Rating, in helping consumers identify foods high in nutrients of concern.
Supreme Court had asked Centre to take a decision
The development follows a PIL filed by NGO 3S and Our Health Society, which approached the Supreme Court through advocate Rajiv Shankar Dwivedi.
The petition sought front-of-pack labelling so consumers could make better-informed decisions while purchasing packaged foods.
The Supreme Court had considered several possible ways of displaying nutritional information, including coloured indicators, words, numbers, letters, symbols and percentages.
The court directed the Centre to take a decision on the issue and place it on record.
The court had also indicated that if the Union government acted on its own, it would be welcomed; otherwise, it could issue further directions.
International examples also cited
FSSAI pointed to international examples where front-of-pack warning systems have already been adopted, including Chile and Canada.
The regulator’s position is that a prominent warning on the front of a packet can help consumers recognise products with high levels of specified nutrients before making a purchase.
The proposed system now represents a significant step towards making nutritional warnings more visible on packaged food products in India, with implementation planned in phases.
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