The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released a draft regulation that would make it mandatory for manufacturers to display a red, hexagonal warning label on any pre‑packed food product that exceeds prescribed limits for sugar, salt or saturated fat. The label, roughly the size of a credit‑card, would read “High in Sugar/Salt/Fat – Consuming this may be harmful to health”, mirroring the graphic warnings already used on tobacco products. The proposal marks a shift from the current voluntary front‑of‑pack nutrition information system, which only requires a Nutrition Facts panel and a ‘traffic‑light’ colour coding that many companies have been slow to adopt.
The draft, circulated for public comment, sets specific thresholds – for example, more than 10 g of sugar per 100 g of product or more than 1.5 g of salt per 100 g – that would trigger the warning. The FSSAI says the move is aimed at curbing the rising burden of non‑communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, which account for a large share of India's mortality. Industry bodies have expressed concerns about the cost of redesigning packaging and the potential impact on sales, but the regulator has indicated that the rules could come into force as early as 2025 after the consultation period ends.
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If finalized, the warning system would align India with a handful of countries that have already implemented similar measures, including Chile, Israel and the United Kingdom. Unlike those nations, India’s proposal would apply to all packaged foods sold across the country, from biscuits and confectionery to ready‑to‑eat meals, making it one of the broadest labeling regimes in the world.
