The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed red hexagonal warning labels for packaged foods containing high levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat, but nutrition advocate Arun Gupta has warned that gaps in the proposed framework could allow some unhealthy products to avoid scrutiny. The proposal follows pressure for stronger front-of-pack warnings to help consumers identify foods with potentially harmful nutritional profiles.

Gupta, convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPI), said the proposed requirement that a product contain two or more specified nutrients above the prescribed threshold could create a significant loophole. According to him, products high in one potentially harmful nutrient could escape a warning even if their overall nutritional profile raises concerns. He said the threshold therefore requires careful consideration before the system is implemented.

The proposed warning labels are intended to make key nutritional risks more visible to consumers at the point of purchase. Such front-of-pack labelling can provide a simpler indication of products containing excessive levels of nutrients associated with health risks. However, the effectiveness of the proposed system will depend on how nutrient thresholds are determined and how consistently the rules are applied across different categories of packaged foods.

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Several other aspects of the proposal also require scrutiny, including the definition of foods high in fat, sugar and salt, commonly referred to as HFSS foods. Gupta has also raised questions about whether the framework should consider added nutrients, as well as how the relevant nutrient levels will be calculated. These details could significantly influence which products ultimately carry the warning labels.

The size and visibility of the warning symbol are another area requiring attention, along with possible exemptions from the labelling requirement. The timeline proposed for the second phase of implementation has also been identified as an issue that needs greater clarity. Experts argue that these elements should be carefully designed so that the system does not create unintended exclusions or weaken the purpose of front-of-pack warnings.

The Supreme Court has recently pushed the Centre and FSSAI to move swiftly on warning labels for unhealthy packaged foods, adding urgency to the regulatory process. The proposed red hexagonal labels represent a move towards giving consumers clearer information about the nutritional content of packaged products. However, Gupta's concerns suggest that the final framework will need to address thresholds, definitions, exemptions, label design and implementation timelines to ensure that unhealthy foods do not escape scrutiny.

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