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FSSAI's HFSS Labeling Debate: Finding a Path Forward Amidst Industry and Consumer Concerns
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Moneycontrol•23-09-2026, 09:56
FSSAI's HFSS Labeling Debate: Finding a Path Forward Amidst Industry and Consumer Concerns
- •FSSAI has struggled for eight years to reach a consensus on defining High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) foods and implementing Front-of-Pack Labelling (FOPL).
- •Initial 2019 draft proposed five FOPL icons with red marking for exceeding thresholds, leading to many common items being classified as HFSS.
- •Studies by Nutrition Alchemy and IIM Ahmedabad explored FOPL impact and consumer preferences, with the latter favoring the Health Star Rating (HSR) system.
- •A 2022 draft introduced the Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) system with stricter HFSS definitions, facing opposition from both large and traditional food industries.
- •Following Supreme Court intervention, FSSAI proposed a warning system with a red hexagon for products exceeding thresholds, with new limits being even lower than previous drafts.
Key Questions Answered
FSSAI proposed a warning system featuring a red hexagon on the front of packaging. In the first phase, this warning label would be applied if a product exceeded thresholds in more than two nutrients, specifically mentioning fat, sugar, or salt.
Based on 2024 National Institute of Nutrition guidelines, FSSAI proposed that solid foods with more than 4.2 g/100 g of added fat, over 3 g/100 g of added sugar, or more than 0.625 g/100 g of salt be classified as high in those nutrients.
Industry groups and traditional food makers argued that the proposed thresholds were unrealistically low, placing many everyday items at risk of carrying warning labels or lower star ratings despite using traditional recipes that are difficult to reformulate.
