FSSAI Plans New Warning Labels: Red Alert on Food Packs For Easy Identification of Sugary and Fatty Foods

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a prominent red-coloured hexagonal warning label on the front of certain packaged foods. The proposal was submitted to the Supreme Court as part of FSSAI's plans to introduce front-of-pack nutrition labelling.

What Will The Red Hexagon Label Show?

Under the proposed system, packaged food products containing high levels of at least two specified nutrients would carry the red warning during the initial phase.

These nutrients are:

• Added saturated fat
• Added sugar
• Salt

The label could include clear warnings such as ‘HIGH FAT, HIGH SUGAR or HIGH SALT ', depending on the nutritional content of the product. Certain sweetened drinks could also carry a ‘HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE’ warning.

The thresholds would be based on the Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024, issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN).

Why Is FSSAI Proposing This?

Nutrition information is already required on packaged foods, but it is generally presented in a detailed table on the back or side of the pack. For many shoppers, comparing numbers while standing in a supermarket can be difficult.

• A front-of-pack warning is designed to make important information visible before a consumer buys the product.
• The proposed red hexagon would therefore act as a quick visual warning, helping people identify products that are high in nutrients of concern without having to study the entire nutrition panel.

Which Packaged Foods Could Carry The Warning?

The proposal could affect a wide range of packaged foods and beverages that contain high amounts of the specified nutrients.

This could include products such as packaged snacks, processed foods and sweetened beverages, depending on their nutritional composition and whether they cross the proposed thresholds.

Importantly, the label would be based on the product's nutrient content rather than simply whether it belongs to a particular food category.

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Will Every Food Get The Label?

Not necessarily.

FSSAI has proposed exemptions for certain single-ingredient foods and foods that are naturally high in fat, sugar, or salt. These include products such as ghee, edible oils, salt, sugar, jaggery, and honey.

These products would still have to follow other applicable food safety and labelling requirements.

The Plan of Action for Implementation

FSSAI has proposed a phased rollout rather than introducing the system all at once.

The gradual approach is intended to give consumers time to understand the new warnings while allowing food manufacturers time to adapt their products and, where necessary, reformulate them.

The proposed warning would also be displayed prominently, with FSSAI stating that its font size should be one point larger than the text used in the nutrition information table on the back of the pack.

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Benefits of This Labeling for the Consumers

For shoppers, the proposed system could make food labels easier to understand at a glance.

A product carrying several red warnings would signal that it contains high amounts of nutrients that consumers are generally advised to limit. This may be particularly useful when choosing snacks, ready-to-eat foods and drinks that can otherwise appear appealing because of health claims, packaging or marketing.

However, a warning label would not automatically mean that a food is unsafe or that it can never be eaten. Overall dietary pattern, portion size and frequency of consumption remain important.

Final Word

FSSAI's proposed red hexagonal front-of-pack warning is aimed at making potentially excessive levels of added sugar, salt and saturated fat easier to spot. This is expected to be introduced in phases, and it is believed to give Indian consumers a quicker way to make informed choices while shopping for packaged foods.