The Supreme Court of India recently directed the government to upgrade food safety regulations in the country within three months, especially in terms of how packaged foods present crucial information. This direction was given in a public interest case brought by two collective entities called 3S and Our Health that aimed to require warn labels highlighting salt, sugar and fat so that consumers could better choose healthier food options.

The government has stated that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has received “over 14,000 comments” about how important new label rules are, and they are working on some new guidelines. In 2022, FSSAI proposed a system called Front-of-Package Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) that assigns a star rating for the food ranging from half a star to five stars. A high star rating translates to a healthier food product compared to the same food item with a lower star rating.

However, many think that this star system is not a good idea. George Cheriyan from the Consumers Protection Association believes that companies will be able to include insignificant amounts of “healthy” ingredients like protein or vitamins to achieve more stars regardless of the ultimate sugar, fat, or salt content of their food item. For example, a chocolate food item with some nuts might be able to get a reasonable star score, while still being high in sugar and fats that mask the real risk.

Like Chile, India should also have unambiguous warning labels, Cheriyan said. In Chile, large black octagons on packages let consumers know when a food is high in calories, sugar, salt or saturated fat. And so consumers can easily identify what is not healthy, even if they don’t read English. These can be mere symbols or emojis, such as green and red dots to indicate what are veg and non-veg fodders.

There is evidence that warning labels work. In Chile, when new legislation was enacted, within 18 months sugar consumption from sugary drinks dropped by 25%. Chileans also banned broadcast advertising of junk food during the day and prevented schools from selling food items high in sugar, salt, or fat.

Dr. Arun Gupta, a nutrition expert, argues that star ratings don’t allow consumers to make informed decisions in time or during the brief moment when they make a decision. Most consumers decide what to eat in a few seconds, so clear warning labels would lead to more immediate and informed decisions.

Ashim Sanyal, with the consumer group VOICE, stated that clear food labels have a role to play in decreasing consumption of ultra-processed foods, which are typically excessive in sugar, salt, fat, and are highly addictive.

Cheriyan suggests that while most rules are directed toward packaged food, there is concern regarding unbranded or fake food available in rural or smaller shops, which is prevalent and often unsafe to consume. He believes, if FSSAI is serious about enhancing safety monitoring in general food, packaged food rules must also be amended.

In summary, India would benefit from straightforward and easily readable warning labels on food packaging. This will help consumers make smarter food choices, reducing health issues, plus create a safer food system for all.

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