Overview
- FSSAI filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Friday proposing a mandatory red hexagonal front‑of‑pack label that would display declarations such as “HIGH FAT,” “HIGH SUGAR,” “HIGH SALT,” or “HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE.”
- The system would apply where a product is high in at least two of the three nutrients—added saturated fat, added sugar and salt—and use thresholds taken from the ICMR‑NIN 2024 Dietary Guidelines.
- FSSAI proposes exemptions for single‑ingredient items and foods inherently rich in a nutrient, like ghee, edible oil, salt, sugar, jaggery and honey, and would require the label font to be slightly larger than the back‑of‑pack nutrition table.
- The rollout is planned in two phases so industry has time to reformulate: Phase I would cover products high in two or more nutrients and certain sweetened drinks, with Phase II extending coverage to products high in any one nutrient.
- Industry groups including major multinationals are expected to challenge the proposal because trade estimates suggest up to about 70–80% of packaged products could qualify, while public‑health research from countries such as Chile shows similar warnings can cut purchases of targeted products and spur reformulation.