Red hexagon on your snack pack: What FSSAI’s new proposed warning label means | Explained
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on August 28, has proposed that the warning initially apply to products high in two or more of the three “nutrients of concern” — added sugar, added saturated fat and salt — as well as specified highly sweetened beverages
India's food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has proposed a new warning label system for packaged foods high in added sugar, saturated fat, or salt. The proposed red, hexagonal label would serve as a simple, at-a-glance signal for consumers to identify unhealthy products. The move comes after years of debate over front-of-pack labelling and intervention by the Supreme Court.
The proposal, which has yet to specify a firm timeline for implementation, would initially apply to products high in two or more of the three "nutrients of concern" — added sugar, added saturated fat, and salt — as well as specified highly sweetened beverages. The proposal is based on the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024, but single-ingredient foods and products inherently rich in these nutrients are proposed to be exempt.
Nutrition advocates have raised concerns about the decision to require a product to be high in two nutrients before it attracts a warning, arguing that it could defeat the purpose of a warning label.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
