Nutrition experts are sounding the alarm over FSSAI's proposed red hexagonal warning labels, citing loopholes that could exempt many high-sugar or high-salt foods from scrutiny.

  • FSSAI proposes red hexagonal labels for foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
  • Experts warn the 'two or more nutrients' threshold creates a massive loophole.
  • Calls have been made to align labels with ICMR-NIN dietary guidelines.

NEW DELHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a new system of red hexagonal warning labels on packaged foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat. However, nutrition advocates are warning that critical flaws in the current framework could allow many unhealthy products to bypass necessary scrutiny.

Dr. Arun Gupta, convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPI), highlighted a significant loophole: the proposal only triggers a warning when a product exceeds thresholds for two or more nutrients of concern. This means a product extremely high in sugar, but low in salt and fat, would escape the warning label entirely, defeating the primary purpose of consumer protection.

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Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that the effectiveness of front-of-pack labeling (FOPL) depends entirely on its simplicity and visibility. If the criteria for applying these labels are too narrow, the food industry may find ways to market unhealthy products as 'safe,' potentially worsening the public health crisis related to lifestyle diseases in India.

"The rule should be simple: High in sugar—warning; high in salt—warning; high in saturated fat—warning."

Beyond the nutrient threshold, experts have criticized the proposed size of the warning label. Currently, the warning is intended to be only one point larger than the standard nutrition table. Critics argue that if the nutrition information is printed in tiny font, a marginally larger warning will still fail to catch the consumer's eye. Furthermore, there are demands to ensure labels are prominently available in both Hindi and English to ensure nationwide reach.

Historical Background

While India has mandatory nutrition information on packaged foods, it has lacked interpretive front-of-pack warnings. FSSAI began exploring these regulations in 2018, but progress has been stalled for years. It was the decisive intervention by the Supreme Court in 2026 that finally compelled the regulator to submit a compliance affidavit and propose this new hexagonal labeling system.

Did You Know?: Front-of-pack labeling is a global trend used in countries like Chile to combat rising obesity rates through visual cues.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the 'two-nutrient' loophole?
It refers to the proposal where a warning is only applied if a food is high in at least two unhealthy components, potentially ignoring products that are dangerously high in just one.

2. Who pushed for these labels?
The Supreme Court of India pushed the Centre and FSSAI to implement these labels to protect public health.