The Quest for a Simple Sign
For years, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been trying to solve a modern problem: how to simply and clearly tell consumers if a packaged food product is high in sugar, salt, or fat. In a country facing a growing crisis of obesity
and diabetes, the solution seemed to be a Front-of-Pack Label (FoPL). The idea is to give shoppers an at-a-glance signal about a product's nutritional value. After much deliberation, FSSAI's 2022 draft regulations proposed the Indian Nutrition Rating (INR), a system that would assign products a rating from a half-star (least healthy) to five stars (healthiest). This 'Health Star Rating' was intended to make healthy choices easier, but it ignited a firestorm of debate instead.
Industry Draws Its Battle Lines
The food and beverage industry met the Health Star Rating proposal with immediate and coordinated resistance. Industry associations argued that a star system was confusing and did not suit the unique, high-flavour profile of Indian cuisine. A more alarming concern for them was that under strict warning-label criteria, an estimated 80% of products in India's massive packaged food market could be flagged as unhealthy. At a tense meeting with the regulator in March 2026, executives argued for a focus on portion control rather than 'demonising' products with red-coloured warnings. Their counter-proposal was to consider 'positive nutrients' like protein and fibre in any rating, a move critics feared would allow unhealthy products to earn misleadingly high scores.
A Shift in Strategy
The industry's lobbying appears to have been effective. Following the pushback, FSSAI shifted its stance. In August 2026, the regulator informed the Supreme Court that it was moving away from prominent, colour-coded warning labels. The new proposal involves a black-and-white nutritional table displaying a product's salt, sugar, and fat content alongside the recommended daily intake. This change effectively transfers the burden of calculation and interpretation from the manufacturer to the consumer, who now needs to do the maths in the middle of a supermarket aisle. This was a significant departure from the simple, at-a-glance warnings that public health advocates had been demanding.
Health Advocates Sound the Alarm
Public health experts and consumer organisations have been vocally critical of this shift, which they see as a capitulation to corporate interests. They argue that Health Star Ratings create a 'health halo,' making unhealthy items seem less harmful than they are. For instance, a sugary drink could get a better star rating simply by adding a negligible amount of fruit juice. Advocates point to the success of clear warning labels in countries like Chile and Mexico, where they have led to a measurable decline in the consumption of unhealthy products. They argue that India needs mandatory, unambiguous warnings—not a system that can be manipulated and could 'paralyse' effective regulation.
The Supreme Court Intervenes
The long delays and shifting positions have not gone unnoticed. The Supreme Court of India, responding to petitions from activists, has stepped into the fray. In August 2026, judges sharply questioned FSSAI over the protracted delay, asking if the regulator was bending to industry pressure. The court admonished the FSSAI for abandoning clear warning labels and gave it a two-week deadline to finalise its stance, warning that if the regulator couldn't act, the court would issue directions itself. This judicial intervention has added a new layer of urgency to a debate that has simmered for the better part of a decade.
