FSSAI proposes warning labels for packaged foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) proposed mandatory front-of-pack warning labels for packaged foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat in India on August 29, 2026, with the proposal still pending.

Under the proposal, prominent warning icons would appear on the front of food packages when a product exceeds predefined thresholds for total sugar, sodium—used to indicate salt—and saturated fat per serving. The research packet does not specify the proposed thresholds or the design of the icons.

The proposal concerns packaged foods and would apply at the product-packaging level. It has not been described as an approved or implemented requirement. FSSAI is the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the body named in the proposal.

The initiative follows the World Health Organization’s SHAKE technical package for reducing sodium intake. The research material does not provide further details on how the proposed Indian labelling system would align with that package.

The proposal comes as India’s packaged food market is valued at approximately USD 55 billion and is described in the research material as growing rapidly. The packet also states that India has approximately 101 million people with diabetes and more than 250 million people who are overweight or obese. It links these conditions to ultra-processed food consumption, without providing additional detail on the nature or extent of that link.

The research packet does not state when FSSAI may finalise the proposal, which products would be covered beyond packaged foods, or when any warning labels could appear in shops. It also does not provide details on consultation, enforcement or penalties. The proposal therefore remains a pending regulatory development rather than a rule currently in force.