FSSAI to introduce red warning labels on chips, sugary drinks and packaged foods

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) first proposed a star-rating system — much like the ones found on electrical appliances — in its 2022 draft notification. Experts and activists opposed these systems stating that even the unhealthiest of snacks would then receive a half star and any star could be thought of as a positive by people.

What has the regulator proposed?

The food regulator, in its affidavit, has said that it will implement red, hexagonal warning on the front of packaged foods. This will be implemented in two phases, the body said:

Phase I — foods will carry the warning only if it is high in two of the three health-harming ingredients: fats, sugars, and salts. Sweetened beverages, which are usually high only in sugars, will carry a separate warning. “It is further proposed that FoPNL (Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling) be implemented in phases to facilitate consumer acceptability and provide industry adequate time for reformulation,” the affidavit said.

Phase II — the warning label would extend to even products that are high in just one of the three ingredients.

The warning label will be carried on the front of the pack, stating the message in English, in a font size one point larger than the one used in the nutritional information table provided at the back of the pack. Single ingredient food products such as a packet of milk will be exempt from this regulation, along with products that are inherently rich in fat, sugar or salt, such as ghee, edible oil, salt, sugar, jaggery and honey.

What do experts say?

Experts welcome the move to finally introduce warning labels by FSSAI but have some concerns about the same. Dr Arun Gupta, Convener of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi)- India, said: “In principle, FSSAI has agreed to the warning labels, but they have put in a whole lot of conditions that make it ineffective. Take for example, the two or more nutrien-thresholds in the phase I of implementation, many unhealthy products would not need to add the warning label because they are high in just one nutrient.”

He added that the FSSAI has also not given any timeline for the implementation of phase II when all products high in fats, sugars, or salts will have to carry the warning.

Another challenge that he notes is the use of the term “added.”

“The food products will have to carry the warning only when there are added sugars or added fats. One, this is difficult to estimate. Two, it is not just the added fat or added sugar that harms the health, high levels of natural sugars can also be bad for you.”

He also added that the font size proposed is too small and the message should be carried in English and Hindi as well.

What is the evidence of this working?

Front-of-pack labels have emerged globally as a way to steer consumers towards healthier packaged foods, which are low in salts, sugars, and fats. Such packaging policies have been introduced in 44 countries, with at least 16 countries adopting it as a mandatory measure with others making it voluntary.

There are generally two types of front-of-pack labels used. An interpretive label that uses all the nutritional information to give a score or star that can be understood in a glance such as warning labels, health star rating, or nutri-score. A non-interpretive label, on the other hand, displays only certain information without giving a judgement.

Countries such as Australia and New Zealand use a health star rating; others such as Netherlands, Czech Republic and Singapore use symbols on products that are the healthier choice. The UK uses a traffic light method where the amount of salt, sugar, and fats are mentioned along with the colour coding of red, yellow, or green; and countries like Chile use a black stop signal to prevent people from buying unhealthy products.

At least 10 countries, including Chile, Peru, Israel, Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela and Canada use warning labels that health activists in the country have been pushing for. A position paper by organisations such as Public Health Foundation of India, Centre for Science and Environment, and Indian Academy of Paediatrics states that there was a change in consumption pattern in several Latin American countries that implemented such warning labels, with Chile witnessing a 24% drop in sugary drink consumption.