FSSAI Proposes Red "High Sugar, High Salt, High Fat" Labels
After a Supreme Court order in August, FSSAI proposed red hexagon warnings reading HIGH FAT, HIGH SUGAR, HIGH SALT or HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE on qualifying packaged foods.
On 28 August, FSSAI filed a compliance affidavit proposing red hexagon warnings on the front of packaged foods that exceed set levels of sugar, salt or saturated fat. The labels would read HIGH FAT, HIGH SUGAR, HIGH SALT or HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE.
The proposal followed a Supreme Court order on 13 August directing the government to decide, with experts, how front-of-pack labels should look, including colours, words, symbols and numbers.
What consumer groups objected to
Consumer groups criticised several parts of the first draft, including a two-nutrient trigger, the reliance on "added" sugar and "added" saturated fat, the lack of a deadline for a second phase, and the size and design of the warnings. FSSAI has since moved to a single-phase rollout triggered by any one nutrient.
What it means for you
Warning labels work best when they are simple and hard to miss. CleanPlate's risk nutrient score already flags high sugar, sodium and saturated fat on every product page.
Source: The Logical Indian
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