NIN flags loopholes in FSSAI’s proposed red warning labels

The National Institute of Nutrition has raised concerns over FSSAI's proposed red warning labels for packaged foods high in sugar, fat and salt. It has urged warnings for products exceeding limits for even one nutrient instead of multiple nutrients.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) has pushed back against the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), urging it to plug crucial loopholes in its proposed red warning label system on packaged food items that have high sugar, fat and salt content.

The FSSAI recently proposed a framework mandating prominent red hexagonal marks such as ‘HIGH FAT’, ‘HIGH SUGAR’, or ‘HIGH SALT’ on packaged foods exceeding specific thresholds benchmarked against the Dietary Guidelines for Indians (DGI) 2024.

---

While that proposal marked a significant shift toward interpretive visual warnings to combat rising lifestyle diseases, the NIN warned the draft rules risk letting dangerous products slip through the cracks, and its Director, Dr Bharati Kulkarni, raised objections regarding the proposed criteria of FSSAI.

The NIN pointed out the DGI 2024 guidelines were designed as a complete package, meaning limits on sugar, fat, and salt work best when looked at along with total calories, rather than being judged in isolation.

It strongly challenged FSSAI’s phased rollout strategy. While Phase-I currently mandates a warning only if a product breaches thresholds in two or more nutrients, NIN argued this loophole allows items excessively high in a single nutrient to escape consumer notice.

Instead, the NIN insisted the warning label must mention if a product exceeds safe limits for even a single nutrient of concern.

Health experts back the stance taken by NIN and point out that waiting to label products until they fail multiple nutrient checks means unhealthy ultra-processed foods will stay safely hidden without any warning labels at all.