India Weighs Red Warning Labels for Packaged Foods

India's food safety regulator is moving toward tougher front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods, a proposal that has drawn a legal challenge from the food industry and criticism from health advocates who say it does not go far enough. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, or FSSAI, proposed on August 28 a red hexagonal warning label for packaged foods that exceed specified limits for added sugar, salt or saturated fat, with implementation planned in two phases. On Thursday, the regulator said it could introduce the tougher labels in one go after Supreme Court judges raised questions about its initial phased plan. The proposal is part of a broader push for front-of-pack nutrition information that would let consumers see a prominent warning without studying the detailed panel on the back of a packet. Under the proposed thresholds, drawn from the Indian Council of Medical Research's Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024, solid foods would be flagged for containing more than 3 grams of added sugar per 100 grams, among other limits, with separate thresholds for liquids.