New Delhi, Aug 29 (JKNS): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed mandatory front-of-pack warning labels in a red-coloured hexagonal shape for packaged food products high in specified nutrients of concern, including added saturated fat, added sugar and salt.
The proposal was placed before the Supreme Court through a compliance affidavit filed in response to the court’s August 13 order while hearing a plea seeking mandatory front-of-package warning labels on packaged foods.
According to the affidavit, as per news agency JKNS stated that, the proposed warning label is aimed at providing consumers with a simple, prominent and easily comprehensible indication of products containing high levels of nutrients considered harmful when consumed excessively.
Under the proposed framework, a prominent red hexagonal warning would be displayed on the front of the package where a food product is high in any two or more of the specified nutrients—added saturated fat, added sugar and salt.
The label would carry applicable declarations such as “High Fat”, “High Sugar”, “High Salt” and/or “Highly Sweetened Beverage”, depending on the nutritional characteristics of the product.
Labels To Be Prominently Displayed
FSSAI has proposed that the warning be displayed in a font size one point larger than the font used in the nutrition information table on the back of the package.
The regulator said the proposed system is intended to enable consumers to identify products high in specified nutrients more easily and make informed food choices, particularly in the case of children and other vulnerable sections of the population.
The proposal is based on nutrient-of-concern thresholds specified under the Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024, issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN).
Two-Phase Implementation Proposed
FSSAI has proposed implementing front-of-pack nutrition labelling in phases to facilitate consumer acceptance and provide the food industry adequate time for product reformulation.
Under Phase I, the warning requirement would cover products high in two or more of the specified nutrients—added fat, added sugar and salt—as well as specified sweetened beverages.
In Phase II, the warning requirement would be extended to products that are high in any one of the specified nutrients.
The regulator said the phased approach is intended to balance effective consumer information with the time required by the industry to adapt and reformulate products.
Certain Foods Proposed For Exemption
The proposed framework would exempt single-ingredient food products from the front-of-pack warning requirement.
It would also exempt foods that are inherently rich in fat, sugar or salt, including ghee, edible oils, salt, sugar, jaggery and honey, subject to the applicability of other requirements under existing food safety and labelling regulations.
Supreme Court Had Questioned Delay
The affidavit was filed after the Supreme Court, while hearing a plea by public charitable trust 3S and Our Health Society, questioned the delay in introducing warning labels on packaged foods.
A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran, on August 13, had criticised the delay and questioned whether the government “does not want its people to be healthy”.
The petitioner, represented by advocate Rajiv Shankar Dvivedi, has sought directions to the Centre, States and Union Territories for implementation of mandatory front-of-package warning labels on packaged food products.
Proposal Yet To Become Regulation
FSSAI clarified that the proposed warning system has not yet become a binding regulation. The provisions will have to be formally notified through amendments to the respective food safety and labelling regulations after following the prescribed procedure.
Once implemented, the proposed red-hexagon system would provide consumers with an easily visible warning at the point of purchase, particularly for packaged foods containing high levels of nutrients associated with health concerns when consumed excessively.
The move is part of a broader effort to strengthen nutrition-related information on packaged foods and enable consumers to make more informed dietary choices. (JKNS)
