FSSAI Proposes Red Hexagon Warning Labels For Foods High In Sugar, Salt And Fat

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a single-phase rollout of front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FoPL), including prominent red warning symbols for packaged foods high in added sugar, added fat or salt. The food regulator has proposed giving food businesses a one-year transition period to comply with the new labelling requirements to avoid commercial hardship from existing packaging stocks.

In a 20-page compliance affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, FSSAI proposed a red hexagon with a white square background for the warning label. The proposal came after the Supreme Court on September 10 asked the regulator to provide a “reasonable, scientifically justified and clearly defined timeline” for implementing front-of-pack warnings, observing that food safety was a matter of “national interest”.

What Will The New Food Warning Labels Look Like?

Under the proposed single-phase system, a food product exceeding the prescribed threshold for even one nutrient of concern would carry a warning. Products high in two or more nutrients would have the relevant nutrients identified within a single red hexagon rather than using separate symbols.

The proposed label would have three elements: a white square background, a red hexagon inside it and the name of the nutrient or nutrients exceeding the prescribed threshold.

The warning would be placed prominently at the top left of the front of the package. FSSAI has proposed that the text be displayed in a font size at least one point larger than the font used in the nutrition information table on the back of the pack.

FSSAI also distinguished the proposed symbol from India's existing non-vegetarian food logo. The latter is a brown square containing a triangle, while the proposed nutrition warning would use a red hexagon against a white square background.

The regulator has proposed using threshold values for added sugar, added fat and salt per 100 grams or 100 millilitres recommended by the ICMR-NIN.

For example, a beverage or freshly prepared lemon juice containing more than 2 grams of added sugar or 175 mg of salt per 100 ml would be classified as high in the respective nutrient and attract the applicable warning. For packaged foods such as chips, the proposed thresholds include more than 4.2 grams of added fat or 625 mg of salt per 100 grams.

The thresholds would apply irrespective of how a product is categorised according to its level of processing.

FSSAI Seeks One-Year Transition Period

FSSAI has proposed that amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, and other food-safety regulations relating to labelling should come into force on July 1, subject to a minimum transition period of 365 days from the date of notification.

The regulator said the additional time was necessary because food businesses had already printed packaging material in bulk. It said the transition period was intended to prevent “commercial hardships” for Food Business Operators (FBOs), while noting that the Food Safety and Standards Act also requires measures not to be unnecessarily restrictive of trade.

FSSAI estimated that around four months would be required to issue and finalise the draft regulations and complete the prescribed regulatory process.

The regulator is also considering moving the warning “CONTAINS NON CALORIC SWEETENER” from the back of food packaging to the front.

For beverages, FSSAI has proposed a separate category covering products that exceed the relevant sugar and salt thresholds. The stated objective is to make consumers more aware of sugar-sweetened beverages and encourage them to consume such products sparingly.

The regulator has also explained why its proposed thresholds distinguish added sugars from naturally occurring sugars. It said a blanket classification of foods as high in sugar without distinguishing between added sugars and naturally occurring sugars has limitations, as fruits and dairy products also contain naturally occurring sugars along with nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals.

The proposed thresholds are based on energy contributions from added and total nutrients. For solid foods, the sugar threshold is based on 5% of energy from added sugar, while the fat threshold is based on 15% of energy from added fat. For beverages, the corresponding thresholds are based on 10% of energy from added sugar and 15% from added fat.

The Supreme Court's September 10 direction prompted the latest affidavit, putting the proposed FoPL framework and its implementation timeline before the court. The proposal will still have to go through the regulatory process before the new labelling requirements can take effect.