Advocates accuse India food safety regulators of delaying front-of-pack nutrition labels

India’s food sector is under pressure to update how it communicates a product’s healthiness after the Supreme Court reportedly mandated the use of front-of-pack nutrition labels. Within the country, the question of whether nutrition information should be presented using a star rating system rather than comprehensive front-of-pack labels that list precise nutrient levels has been up for debate for over a decade. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) proposed the Indian Nutritional Rating (INR) system in 2022, which assigns star ratings from 0.5 to 5 stars. However, experts worry this approach could allow unhealthy products to appear healthy, potentially misleading consumers. The star rating provides simplified information but does not clearly indicate levels of sugar, salt, or fat. 

Last April, the Supreme Court gave FSSAI a three-month deadline to finalize nutrition label regulations after a bench of justices critiqued, “You all have grandchildren?” — popular Indian snacks Kurkure and Maggi contain “no information.” The court granted an extension after FSSAI requested an additional three months to review over 14,000 public comments — including objections and suggestions — on its proposed rules.

Yesterday, Member of Parliament Milind Deora tweeted: “The Supreme Court has directed FSSAI to implement simple front-of-pack nutrition labels on packaged food. As Chair of Parliament’s Subordinate Legislation Committee, I’ve recommended studying Singapore’s clear A-to-D Nutri-Grade system.”

“This would help FSSAI comply without further delays and empower Indian consumers to make healthier choices, reversing India’s rising obesity crisis.”

The non-profit Global Food Consumers’ Forum reports that debates around front-of-pack nutrition labeling have been ongoing since 2012, but the food industry has resisted.

Senior constitutional expert Rajeev Dhawan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court, says: “Proper and accurate labeling of all prepackaged food products is not only consumer protection and a right to know, it is part of the right to health and life.”

Demanding right to know

The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India is calling on the government to ditch the proposed star system with mandatory warning labels on all prepackaged food products that are high in sugar, salt, fat, and/or calories.

Deora claims that the Supreme Court has directed FSSAI to implement front-of-pack nutrition labels on packaged food.People have a right to know what they consume, it underscores. “Imagine a snack with three stars on its label and containing six teaspoons of hidden sugar per 100 g.”

The nation’s 29 leading public health and consumer organizations recently called on the government to make front-of-pack labels mandatory. Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), part of the group, highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged raising awareness among children about sugar consumption and reducing fat to tackle rising obesity rates.

Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, physician and the founder president of the Public Health Foundation, comments: “India cannot afford to wait while non-communicable diseases escalate and children become marketing targets. Warning labels are simple, effective, and evidence-based.” 

Dr. Arun Gupta, convener of NAPi, states: “Without mandatory warning labels, the public remains in the dark. Industry interests must not override children’s right to health.” Quoting the Economic Survey, he added: “Globally, self-regulation has been ineffective. Stringent front-of-pack labeling rules are needed and must be enforced.”

NAPi’s coalition aims to ban marketing unhealthy foods to children, like cartoons, celebrity endorsements, and health claims. They also call for transparent, time-bound regulation with a 12-month compliance deadline.

Rising obesity and diabetes rates

The Breastfeeding Promotion Network flags that India’s obesity and diabetes public health crises are highlighted in the Economic Survey 2024–25, which recommends strict labeling on unhealthy food products. They add that these foods are “aggressively marketed.”

One in four Indians is overweight or obese, 101 million are diabetic, and 136 million are pre-diabetic.Furthermore, a WHO India report flags that unhealthy diets with high-fat/salt/sugar food products are rising at 13.7% annual growth. One in four Indians is overweight or obese, 101 million are diabetic, and 136 million are pre-diabetic.

NAPi adds that national data shows 10% of 10–19-year-olds are pre-diabetic and 54% of all deaths are linked to unhealthy diets.

Research has shown that warning labels are more effective in helping consumers choose healthier food than health stars. The Breastfeeding Promotion Network highlights evidence from India that warns labels are the best way to identify food.

In Chile, for instance, warning labels led to a 24% drop in sugary drink purchases in one year. 

Through its 2025–26 budget, the Indian government aims to support nutrition under the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 initiative while tackling the rising rates of ultra-processed foods.

In April, India celebrated the seventh edition of its annual nutrition awareness drive, Poshan Pakhwada. The drive focused on maternal and infant nutrition, childhood obesity, and increased AI-powered digital access for health monitoring.