FSSAI to Mandate Red Front-of-Pack Warning Labels on High-Fat, Sugar, and Salt Foods

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is advancing a regulatory framework to introduce prominent red front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods containing high levels of sugar, salt, or fat, moving away from conventional numerical nutrition tables and star ratings. The reform follows extensive advocacy from public health organisations and research institutions, including the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) and grassroots campaigns such as the Let’s Fix Our Food initiative.

Under the proposed framework, ultra-processed items exceeding prescribed nutritional thresholds will display clear red hexagonal indicators on the front of the packaging. These visual stamps will feature straightforward alerts such as 'HIGH SUGAR' or 'HIGH SALT' to clearly inform consumers about nutrient risks at the point of purchase.

The regulatory rollout is planned across two distinct phases to allow food manufacturers time to adapt their production and packaging. The first phase will cover packaged sweetened beverages alongside snack products that exceed safety cutoffs in two or more risk nutrients.

The second phase will broaden the scope of the mandate, requiring the red warning labels on any packaged food item that crosses even a single nutrient limit. Natural, single-ingredient kitchen staples—including cooking oils, ghee, butter, jaggery, and honey—will remain exempt from the labelling mandate because they are basic culinary ingredients rather than formulated, ultra-processed items.

The initiative has drawn strong support from public health advocates and consumer rights groups, who view the visual alerts as a vital step to curb lifestyle diseases and childhood obesity. However, food industry stakeholders have raised concerns regarding the proposed implementation timelines and specific nutrient cutoffs, calling for more time to execute the changes across supermarket shelves.

Health advocates maintain that implementing clear, visual indicators without delay is essential for empowering consumers and driving meaningful improvements in dietary health outcomes.