In an affidavit filed with the apex court, the FSSAI outlined a proposal to adopt a single‑phase approach for front‑of‑pack nutrition labelling (FoPL) on all packaged food products, including beverages, that exceed defined thresholds for sugar, salt or saturated fat.
The regulator asked the court for a four‑month window to draft and finalise the amendment regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Once drafted, the regulations will be published for a mandatory 60‑day public comment period, with feedback solicited through domestic consultation and the World Trade Organization platform before the Food Authority’s approval and subsequent gazette notification.
To cushion food business operators (FBOs) from commercial disruption, the affidavit proposes a voluntary implementation period of 365 days, allowing companies to replace existing packaging that may already be printed in bulk.
The suggested label design features a red hexagon set against a white square background, a format loosely modelled on Canada’s FoPL system. If a product contains one nutrient of concern, that nutrient will appear alone in the hexagon; two or three nutrients will be shown together within the same shape. Additionally, any product containing non‑caloric sweeteners must carry a front‑pack warning stating “CONTAINS NON CALORIC SWEETENER.”
The filing follows a petition by Kerala‑based NGO 3S and Our Health Society, represented by advocate Rajiv Shankar Dvivedi, which asked the Centre to direct the FSSAI to introduce mandatory warning labels. The Supreme Court had previously rebuked the regulator for not moving forward with such labels, prompting the current submission.
If approved, the new FoPL regime would give Indian consumers clearer, at‑a‑glance information about the nutritional quality of packaged foods, potentially steering purchasing decisions and aligning India’s labelling standards with international practice, while giving the food industry a defined timeline to adapt.