FSSAI Proposes Red Front-of-Pack Warning Labels for Foods High in Sugar, Fat or Salt

NEW DELHI, September 24: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a new front-of-pack nutrition labelling system requiring prominent red warning symbols on packaged foods that exceed prescribed limits for added sugar, added fat or salt. The regulator has now proposed a single-phase rollout, meaning a warning could apply even when just one nutrient crosses the threshold. The proposal is not yet a final regulation.

Red Hexagonal Warning to Appear on Front of Pack

Under the proposed system, packaged foods exceeding specified nutrient limits would carry a red hexagon placed on a white square background on the front of the package.

The warning would identify the specific nutrient of concern, using declarations such as:

• High Sugar
• High Fat
• High Salt
• Appropriate warnings for certain sweetened beverages

FSSAI told the Supreme Court that the label would be positioned prominently on the top-left portion of the front of the package to make it easily visible to consumers.

Warning Even if Only One Nutrient Crosses Limit

An important change in the latest proposal is FSSAI’s move towards a single-phase implementation model.

An earlier plan envisaged initially applying warnings mainly to products high in two or more nutrients before extending the requirement. Under the latest proposal, a product could receive a warning even if only one nutrient — sugar, fat or salt — exceeds the prescribed threshold.

If multiple nutrients cross their respective limits, their warnings would be displayed together within a single red hexagonal label.

FSSAI to Use ICMR-NIN Nutrient Thresholds

FSSAI has proposed using thresholds based on recommendations from the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN).

Indicative thresholds cited by the regulator include:

• Added sugar above 3 grams per 100 grams in solid foods
• Added sugar above 2 grams per 100 ml in liquid foods
• Added fat above 4.2 grams per 100 grams in solid foods
• Added fat above 1.5 grams per 100 ml in liquids
• Salt above 625 mg per 100 grams in solid foods
• Salt above 175 mg per 100 ml in liquids

For example, FSSAI said packaged chips exceeding the proposed fat or salt threshold would attract the relevant warning regardless of how the product is otherwise classified.

Non-Caloric Sweeteners Could Get Separate Warning

FSSAI is also considering requiring products containing non-caloric sweeteners to display the declaration “CONTAINS NON CALORIC SWEETENER” on the front of the pack.

At present, such information may appear elsewhere on the packaging. The proposed change is intended to make the presence of sweeteners more immediately visible to consumers.

Food Companies Could Get One Year to Comply

FSSAI has told the Supreme Court that food companies would be provided a one-year transition period to comply once the new labelling rules are formally notified.

The regulator said this period is intended to avoid unnecessary commercial hardship because manufacturers may already have large quantities of pre-printed packaging material.

FSSAI’s policy provides that major labelling amendments should generally take effect on July 1 after a transition period of at least 365 days from notification.

Draft Regulations Could Take Around Four Months

The regulator estimates that approximately four months may be required to complete the regulatory process for drafting and finalising the regulations.

That process would need to be completed before the one-year compliance transition for food businesses begins. Therefore, the warning labels are not becoming mandatory immediately.

Supreme Court Had Sought Clear Timeline

The latest proposal follows scrutiny from the Supreme Court, which asked FSSAI to provide a clearly defined and scientifically justified timeline for introducing front-of-pack warnings.

The court has been hearing proceedings concerning food products high in sugar, salt and fat and has described food safety as an issue of national importance.

The earlier proposal submitted to the court contemplated a two-stage approach, but FSSAI has now indicated that it favours the stricter single-phase system.

Labels Aim to Help Consumers Make Faster Choices

Front-of-pack warnings are intended to allow consumers to quickly identify packaged foods containing high levels of nutrients associated with health risks when consumed excessively.

FSSAI said the proposed design is intended to provide a simple, prominent and easily understandable warning, rather than requiring shoppers to study detailed nutrition tables on the back of packages.

The final design, thresholds and implementation timetable will become clear only after the regulatory process is completed and the rules are formally notified.

source – FSSAI / Economic Times / The Indian Express / Supreme Court Proceedings

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