A coalition of 29 leading public health and consumer organizations in India has renewed calls to require clear warning labels on the front of pre-packaged foods and beverages that contain high levels of sugar, salt, and fat.
This demand follows a Supreme Court order on April 12, directing an expert panel to submit final recommendations within three months on implementing front-of-pack nutrition labeling (FOPNL) for the first time in India. The court also asked for amendments to existing food safety standards to support this change.
The court’s instructions responded to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking mandatory warning labels on all packaged foods high in salt, sugar, or fat. This includes ultra-processed foods such as chips, cookies, sweets, soft drinks, instant noodles, sugary cereals, frozen meals, ice cream, bakery products, and chocolates.
The expert panel, formed under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), was established after the regulator released a draft FOPNL policy in 2022. The draft proposed a ‘Health Star Rating’ (HSR) system to rate packaged and processed foods.
Since then, FSSAI received over 14,000 comments from stakeholders, nutrition experts, institutions, and the public. It decided to have experts analyze these inputs before finalizing the policy.
Delhi-based think tank Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) opposes the HSR model. It calls for mandatory pictorial warning labels instead, arguing that HSR creates a misleading positive image for unhealthy foods.
ThePrint reached out to FSSAI CEO Kamla Vardhan Rao for comments on the recent demand for warning labels over HSR. The report will be updated if a response is received.
Clear Definition of HFSS Foods Needed
A position statement by NAPi, supported by 28 other organizations, rejects the 2022 draft HSR model. They argue it favors industry interests and lacks clarity. They want clear, mandatory front-of-pack labels that plainly warn consumers. For example, chocolate packaging should clearly say “High in Sugar.”
The statement emphasizes that FOPNL is a human rights issue as well as a public health measure. It should provide key information upfront to help consumers make informed choices.
The statement is endorsed by major groups like the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), Consumer VOICE, Diabetes India, and the Association of Physicians of India.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024, prepared by the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), HFSS (high in fat, sugar, and salt) foods exceed recommended limits for these ingredients. These foods are usually energy-dense but low in nutrients and fiber. Their consumption is linked to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
Currently, FSSAI lacks a clear definition of HFSS foods, but the new FOPNL policy is expected to include one.
The statement notes that FOPNL originated as a behavior change tool. It aims to reduce obesity and non-communicable diseases by lowering the intake of foods high in salt, sugar, and fat, following World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
FOPNL is described as a simple, affordable, and effective way to alert consumers to health risks in foods they buy.
Currently, the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulation, 2020 requires only serving size and nutrition facts on food labels. It does not require warnings about high levels of salt, sugar, or fat.
Growing Evidence of HFSS Risks
ICMR-NIN’s 2024 Dietary Guidelines report that 56.4% of India’s disease burden comes from unhealthy diets.
Experts warn that eating more than four servings daily of ultra-processed foods, often promoted with misleading labels and ads, raises the risk of death from all causes by 62%.
The report highlights worrying trends: 28% of Indian adults are overweight or obese; one in four adults is diabetic or pre-diabetic; and 10% of teenagers (ages 10–19) are pre-diabetic. Children’s increasing consumption of packaged foods high in sugar and salt is driving childhood obesity upward.
A WHO India study from 2023 found that retail sales of ultra-processed foods grew at an annual rate of 13.37% between 2011 and 2021.
Dr. Arun Gupta, convenor of NAPi, said, “Without mandatory warning labels, the public remains in the dark. Industry interests must not override children’s right to health.”
He also pointed to this year’s government Economic Survey, which noted that global self-regulation by the food industry has failed. The report stressed the need for strong FOPNL regulations that must be strictly enforced.
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