How to read snack labels in India

• Consumers should check ingredient lists and nutrition tables to eat better.
• FSSAI mandates ingredient order and larger fonts for sugar and sodium.
• New rules require clearer visibility of sugar, fat and sodium levels.

The snack aisle can feel like a maze of colourful packets and bold health claims. But what's the real story behind the marketing? Learning to decode the label on the back is the key to making smarter, healthier choices for you and your family.

Start With the Ingredients List

The single most important part of any food label is the ingredients list. In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) mandates that ingredients be listed in descending order by weight. This means the first three ingredients make up the bulk of what you're eating. If you see sugar (or its many hidden names like corn syrup or dextrose), refined flour (maida), or palm oil at the top of the list, it's a strong sign that the snack isn't as healthy as its front-of-pack claims might suggest. A shorter, simpler list with ingredients you recognise is generally a better choice.

Master the Nutrition Facts Table

This small box of numbers holds the truth about a snack's nutritional value. A common mistake is only looking at the 'per serving' column. Serving sizes can be deceptively small—think three biscuits or a small handful of chips. To get a true picture and compare different products, always look at the 'per 100g' column. Key things to watch are 'Added Sugar,' 'Saturated Fat,' and 'Sodium'. As a rule of thumb, a snack with more than 15 grams of sugar per 100g is best treated as a dessert. Also, be wary of products with more than 400 mg of sodium per 100g, as this is considered high.

Question 'Healthy' Marketing Claims

Labels are often covered in buzzwords like 'multigrain', 'baked, not fried', 'real fruit', 'natural', or 'zero added sugar'. While not always false, these claims can be misleading. A 'multigrain' bread may still have maida as its primary ingredient. A 'baked' snack can be just as high in fat and sodium as its fried counterpart. Similarly, a fruit juice with 'no added sugar' might be made from sugary concentrate. The FSSAI has recently been cracking down on such potentially misleading claims, reminding consumers to trust the nutrition panel, not the marketing slogans on the front. Your best defence is to ignore the hype and turn the pack over.

Look for Allergens and Key Symbols

FSSAI regulations make it mandatory for companies to declare common allergens. If a product contains ingredients like peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, or wheat, it must be clearly stated, often in bold letters in or near the ingredients list. This is crucial for anyone with food allergies or sensitivities. Additionally, look for the mandatory green dot inside a square for vegetarian products and a brown dot for non-vegetarian ones. If a product claims to be 'organic', it should have a certification logo like the Jaivik Bharat logo to prove it's genuine.

Understanding Front-of-Pack Labels (FoPL)

For years, there has been a debate in India about introducing a simple, at-a-glance warning system on the front of packages. While many public health advocates have pushed for colour-coded labels (red for high fat, sugar, salt), this has faced resistance. As of late 2026, the discussion continues, with the FSSAI recently suggesting a format that shows how much a serving contributes to your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of nutrients like sugar and salt. A recent FSSAI amendment also requires 'Total Sugar,' 'Saturated Fat,' and 'Sodium' to be displayed in a larger, bolder font within the nutrition table to increase visibility. This highlights their importance for consumer health.