New Delhi, August 29, 2026: India’s food safety regulator has proposed a major change to the way packaged foods communicate nutritional risks to consumers, putting forward a plan for prominent warning labels on products containing high levels of sugar, saturated fat or salt.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) submitted the proposal before the Supreme Court as part of an ongoing case concerning clearer nutritional information on packaged food. The proposed system would use red, hexagonal symbols on the front of food packages to make potentially unhealthy nutritional content easier to identify.

Red warnings designed for quick identification

Under the proposed framework, products exceeding specified limits for at least two of the nutrients covered by the system could receive prominent warnings. Depending on the product, the label could identify high fat, high sugar or high salt content. Certain highly sweetened beverages could also receive a separate warning.

The proposed thresholds are linked to the Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024, prepared by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Nutrition.

The regulator says the objective is to give shoppers information that can be understood quickly while standing in front of a supermarket shelf. Instead of requiring consumers to study detailed nutritional tables on the rear of a package, the proposed symbols would place key warnings directly in their line of sight.

Two-stage implementation under consideration

FSSAI has proposed introducing the system gradually.

During the first stage, products considered high in two or more specified nutrients would fall under the warning system, along with certain highly sweetened drinks. A second stage would expand the requirement to products exceeding the prescribed threshold for any one of the specified nutrients.

The phased approach is intended to give manufacturers time to adjust recipes and packaging while moving toward a broader consumer-information system.

Some products could be excluded

The proposal does not cover every food item in the same way. FSSAI has suggested exemptions for single-ingredient foods and certain products that are naturally rich in fat, sugar or salt.

Items specifically discussed in reports include ghee, edible oil, salt, sugar, jaggery and honey. These products would remain subject to other applicable food-safety and labelling requirements.

Supreme Court pressure preceded the proposal

The latest proposal follows strong intervention from the Supreme Court earlier this month. The court had questioned the delay in introducing clear front-of-pack warnings and asked the Centre and FSSAI to put their final position on record.

The court’s intervention came amid a public-interest case seeking mandatory warnings for packaged products containing high amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fat. The judges stressed the importance of consumers—particularly children—having understandable information before purchasing food.

Potential impact on India’s packaged-food industry

The proposed rules could have significant consequences for India’s large packaged-food and beverage sector. Companies may need to reassess product formulations, packaging designs and marketing strategies if the proposed framework becomes part of the country’s food-labelling regulations.

Industry groups and major food companies have previously raised objections to warning-style labels, arguing that such systems can oversimplify nutritional information. Consumer advocates and health campaigners, however, have pushed for prominent warnings that can help shoppers identify products with high levels of nutrients associated with unhealthy diets.

A potentially important change for Indian consumers

For shoppers, the proposed system could make nutritional warnings much more visible. A customer would potentially be able to recognize a product’s major nutritional concerns from the front of the package without first examining the detailed information printed on the back.

FSSAI has said the broader purpose is to support informed food choices, particularly among children and other vulnerable groups. The proposal still needs to move through the prescribed regulatory process before any final requirements take effect.

If implemented, the initiative could mark an important shift in India’s approach to food labelling—moving from information that consumers must actively search for toward warnings designed to be noticed immediately.