A petition before the Supreme Court has challenged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) proposed front-of-pack warning-label framework, arguing that packaged foods and beverages should carry a health warning if they exceed the prescribed limit for even one nutrient—sugar, salt or saturated fat.
Filed by non-profit 3S and Our Health Society, the petition seeks changes to FSSAI’s latest proposal for phased introduction of red, hexagonal warning labels. Under the proposed framework, warnings would initially apply to products exceeding thresholds for two or more specified nutrients.
The petitioner argues that this could allow products containing excessive levels of a single nutrient to escape a warning. A product extremely high in sugar, for example, may not carry a front-of-pack warning if its salt and saturated fat levels remain below the prescribed limits.
The rejoinder, filed on September 5 in response to FSSAI’s affidavit before the Supreme Court, has urged the regulator to introduce the warning-label system in a single comprehensive phase. It argues that postponing warnings for products high in only one nutrient, without a defined implementation schedule, could result in indefinite delays.
Call for total nutrient assessment
The petition has also asked FSSAI to consider total sugar, salt and fat content rather than focusing primarily on added nutrients.
According to the filing, relying on added sugar alone may not provide consumers with a complete nutritional picture. Products containing fruit concentrates, jaggery or other naturally sugar-rich ingredients could still contain substantial total sugar despite having little separately added sugar.
The petitioner therefore wants warning labels to reflect the overall nutrient content of packaged foods.
Larger, bilingual warnings sought
Another major demand concerns the visibility of warnings. The petition proposes that front-of-pack warnings occupy around 15–20% of the principal display area and be proportionate to package size.
It has also sought warnings in both English and Hindi to make nutritional information more accessible to a wider section of consumers.
FSSAI’s current proposal provides for warning text to be one point larger than the font used for the back-of-pack nutrition information panel.
Regulatory process questioned
The petition has also questioned how FSSAI arrived at its latest proposal, claiming that its compliance affidavit did not provide sufficient details of the internal consultation or approval process behind the red-hexagon design and proposed nutrient thresholds.
It has urged FSSAI to build on regulatory work undertaken in 2022 rather than begin another consultation process that could delay implementation. The 2022 Draft Food Safety and Standards (Labelling & Display) Amendment Regulations had already undergone public consultation and contained provisions concerning foods high in fat, sugar and salt.
The dispute comes amid increasing scrutiny of ultra-processed foods in India. The Economic Survey for FY26 reported that India’s domestic ultra-processed food market expanded by more than 150% between 2009 and 2023.
The Supreme Court proceedings could have significant implications for packaged food and beverage manufacturers. Any tightening of warning thresholds could influence product reformulation, packaging design and how nutritional information is communicated to consumers.