For packaged foods rich in fat, sugar, or salt, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has recommended a red, hexagon-shaped warning label for such products, according to a report.
This regulation targets items that exceed safe levels in two or more of these nutrients, according to a Supreme Court filing made public on August 28, 2026. For the regulating authority, this is a major turnabout. It comes after severe legal pressure and widespread public outrage over the absence of clear nutritional recommendations.
In response to growing public outcry over the absence of stringent labels that indicated high levels of sugar, fat, or salt in products, India's food regulator has proposed front-of-pack warning labels for packaged foods and beverages, Reuters reported.
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Coca-Cola and industry associations representing Nestle and PepsiCo have long resisted such labelling, claiming they are confusing; thus, the move is a significant blow for food firms in India's over $100 billion market. Citing issues including obesity, activists and the Supreme Court have long demanded their implementation.
"The warning label shall indicate the applicable declaration, such as 'HIGH FAT', 'HIGH SUGAR', 'HIGH SALT' and/or 'HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE' ... to enable consumers to readily identify products high in the specified nutrients," FSSAI stated in the submission on Friday.
The system will "facilitate informed food choices, particularly in relation to children and other vulnerable groups of the population," it said.
The court filing, which has not been made public, was originally reported by Reuters. The Supreme Court, which was hearing appeals from health campaigners demanding long-delayed warning labels, received the submission and instructed the government to move quickly earlier this month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has been attempting to introduce warning labels for years, but it abandoned a proposal this year due to opposition from private companies.
Since the report was published, Indian consumers and health experts have taken to social media to vent their frustration at firms like Coca-Cola and Nestle that have willingly placed comparable labels in several European markets for years.
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Rajiv Shankar Dvivedi, the lead attorney for the nonprofit organisation "3S And Our Health," which had sued the government in the Supreme Court for failing to provide warning labels, stated, "We are considering the government proposal and our experts are going to review it."
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