FSSAI Tells Supreme Court Front-of-Pack Warnings Will Arrive in One Phase
Packaged foods high in sugar, salt or fat will carry a red hexagon warning on the front of the pack. FSSAI has dropped its two-phase plan and proposed a one-year compliance window.
FSSAI has told the Supreme Court it will introduce front-of-pack warning labels in a single phase, reversing its earlier two-phase proposal. Warnings will apply to products that are high in any one of the nutrients of concern.
What the label will look like
- A red hexagon on a white square background, placed at the top left of the front of the pack.
- Text at least one point larger than the nutrition table on the back.
- Thresholds are based on ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024), and apply whether a product is minimally or highly processed.
The timeline
FSSAI proposes four months to finalise the draft regulations, including a 60 day public comment period. After notification, food companies would get a 365 day compliance window, which the regulator says is meant to avoid waste of already printed packaging.
What it means for you
For the first time, the front of an Indian food pack would have to warn you about sugar, salt or fat, instead of only advertising the product. Until the rule takes effect, the back-of-pack numbers are still where the truth is, which is what CleanPlate scores are built on.
Source: ThePrint
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