The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a single-phase rollout of Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FoPL), which would place prominent red warning labels on packaged food products found to be high in salt, sugar, or fat. The proposal was submitted via an affidavit before the Supreme Court, which had earlier sought a clear implementation timeline from the food regulator and the government.

What the Warning Label Will Look Like

Under the proposed framework, packaged foods exceeding prescribed thresholds for nutrients of concern would be required to display a red hexagon on a white square background on the front of the pack. The format draws similarities with the labelling model adopted in Canada and is designed to flag nutrients that can pose health risks when consumed in excess.

Notably, the warning label would apply even if a product exceeds the threshold for just one nutrient — whether salt, sugar, or fat. In such cases, the specific nutrient would appear inside the red hexagon. If two or three nutrients breach prescribed limits, all of them would be listed together within a single warning symbol.

Why FSSAI Chose a Single-Phase Approach

The regulator has opted for a single-phase implementation rather than a staged rollout. This marks a shift from earlier deliberations that had envisaged a gradual introduction of the system. FSSAI said the unified approach would provide consumers with clearer, more consistent nutritional information at the point of purchase — helping them make more informed food choices without having to navigate evolving label formats.

This comes amid years of advocacy from public health groups and repeated nudges from the Supreme Court, which has been monitoring the FoPL issue given the rising incidence of diet-linked non-communicable diseases in India.

Consultation Process and Timeline

FSSAI clarified that the proposed labelling framework will undergo public and industry consultations before regulations are finalised. The authority has estimated it will need approximately four months to issue and finalise draft regulations after completing the consultation process and fulfilling the procedural requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act and related rules.

Industry bodies representing packaged food manufacturers are expected to engage closely during the consultation window, given the significant compliance and reformulation implications the new labels could carry.

Impact on Consumers and the Food Industry

For consumers, the red hexagon system is intended to provide an at-a-glance alert — a visible cue that a product contains potentially excessive levels of a specific nutrient. The model is broadly in line with international best practices: similar warning labels have been credited with driving reformulation and reducing consumption of high-risk packaged foods in Chile, Mexico, and Canada.

For food manufacturers, the change could trigger pressure to reformulate popular products to fall below the prescribed nutrient thresholds — or face prominent on-pack warnings that could influence purchasing decisions. The scale of that impact will depend heavily on where the final thresholds are set, a detail expected to emerge through the consultation process.

Supreme Court Oversight

The fact that FSSAI filed the proposal through a Supreme Court affidavit underlines the judicial pressure behind the move. The court had specifically sought a firm timeline, signalling impatience with earlier delays. With the regulator now on record with a four-month finalisation estimate, the judiciary has a concrete benchmark to hold it to. How promptly FSSAI follows through will be closely watched.