FSSAI proposes front-of-pack red pictorial warnings for foods high in fat, sugar, salt

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has filed a proposal in the Supreme Court for front-of-pack (FOP) red pictorial warnings on food products high in fat, sugar, and salt. This initiative, in line with international regulations, aims to provide consumers with a clear and easily comprehensible warning about products with high levels of these nutrients.

The proposed warning label would feature a red hexagonal shape and read 'High Fat', 'High Sugar', 'High Salt', or 'Highly Sweetened Beverage', displayed in a larger font than the nutrition information table on the back of the pack. Single-ingredient foods and those inherently rich in fat, sugar, or salt, like ghee, edible oil, jaggery, and honey, would be exempted from the FOP warning requirement.

The implementation of this labelling mechanism is planned in phases, starting with products high in two or more nutrients in Phase I and expanding to cover products high in any one of these nutrients in Phase II. This proposal came about in response to a petition filed by NGO 3S and Our Health Society, represented by advocate Rajiv Shankar Dvivedi, and follows the Supreme Court's August 13 comments on the state's obligations to protect public health.