India’s food regulator is implementing stricter front-of-pack warning labels on high-sugar, salt, and fat foods, amid ongoing debates over transparency, misleading marketing, and rising health issues like obesity and diabetes.
India’s food regulator is moving more aggressively against what it sees as misleading packaging and marketing, as it faces mounting pressure to tackle obesity, diabetes and the consumption of ultra-processed food. In an interview with Business Today, FSSAI chief executive Rajit Punhani said the authority is pushing for prominent front-of-pack warning labels on foods high in sugar, salt and fat, while also stepping up action against claims it says can mislead shoppers. (businesstoday.in)
According to proposals reported by Indian media and Reuters, the labels would use a red hexagonal warning symbol and words such as “High Fat”, “High Sugar” and “High Salt”, with a separate warning for drinks described as “Highly Sweetened Beverage”. Reuters reported that the draft is designed to cover products high in at least two of the three nutrients first, before expanding to items that exceed the limit in just one. The plan also exempts some single-ingredient foods, including ghee, edible oil, salt, sugar, jaggery and honey. (internazionale.it)
The move comes after years of criticism that India’s packaged-food labels do not make unhealthy products obvious enough at the point of sale. The Supreme Court has been pressing FSSAI to act on front-of-pack labelling, and a Reuters report said judges are due to weigh the latest proposal at a hearing scheduled for September 10. Health advocates have argued that any threshold based on multiple nutrients could leave room for loopholes, while the industry has long resisted warnings it says may unfairly stigmatise products. (internazionale.it)
At the same time, FSSAI has been widening enforcement against labels and advertisements it considers deceptive. The Times of India reported last month that the regulator had issued more than 150 notices to food companies in recent months, including to large multinationals, over misleading advertising, false claims and labelling breaches. Separately, FSSAI has moved against Dabur over “100%” purity-style claims, saying they were ambiguous and unverifiable, although the Delhi High Court later granted interim relief. Together, the actions suggest a regulator under pressure to prove that its labelling rules will have real teeth. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
