The Regulator's Renewed Focus
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently intensified its efforts against misleading marketing by food companies. In the past few months, it has issued notices to several prominent brands for dubious claims and deceptive branding.
Actions in August 2026 saw the regulator ordering a major company, Dabur, to halt sales of products with ambiguous '100%' claims on items like coconut milk and honey. This followed a series of notices in June to eight other companies for using trade names with terms like 'Healthy' that could mislead consumers about the product's actual nutritional value. These actions signal a significant push to enforce transparency and ensure that what's on the label matches what's in the packet. The crackdown targets unsubstantiated health benefits, deceptive names, and incorrect use of certifications like 'organic'.
Lost in the Fine Print
The regulator's crackdown is a response to a long-standing problem: food labels that confuse more than they clarify. Many consumers struggle to understand the complex nutritional information typically found on the back of packaging. This information is often dense with jargon and printed in tiny fonts. Compounding the issue are the bold, attractive claims on the front of the pack—'low fat,' 'no added sugar,' or 'multigrain'—that can create a misleading 'health halo' around products that are actually high in salt, sugar, or refined flour. For instance, a 'no added sugar' claim can be used even if a product is sweetened with date syrup or fruit concentrates, which FSSAI rules prohibit for such labelling. Studies show that while many consumers intend to make healthy choices, they often prioritise brand names and expiry dates over scrutinising ingredient lists, partly because the labels are so difficult to decipher.
The Push for Front-of-Pack Clarity
To combat this confusion, public health advocates and consumer groups have been championing the adoption of Front-of-Pack Labelling (FoPL). Unlike the dense table on the back, FoPL uses simple, at-a-glance graphics on the front to quickly inform shoppers if a product is high in nutrients of concern like fat, sugar, and salt. Several formats have been debated in India. One is a 'warning label' system, which uses simple symbols to flag unhealthy products. Another is the 'Indian Nutrition Rating' (INR), a health star rating system where products are rated from half a star (least healthy) to five stars (healthiest). However, the star rating system has faced criticism from health experts who argue it can be manipulated by industry; for example, adding a small amount of a 'positive' nutrient like fibre to a sugary cereal could increase its star rating, misleading consumers.
A Debate Marked by Delays
The journey toward implementing a clear FoPL system in India has been long and contentious. The FSSAI has been deliberating on the matter since 2014, with draft regulations being proposed and withdrawn amidst a lack of consensus between public health groups and the food industry. Industry representatives have expressed concerns that stringent warning labels could negatively impact their business, arguing that consumers prefer foods high in sugar, salt, and fat. Meanwhile, consumer and health organisations have pushed back against what they see as industry-friendly dilutions, such as the Health Star Rating, which they believe is less effective than clear warning labels. As of early 2026, the FSSAI indicated it would withdraw its 2022 draft regulations on the star-rating system to conduct further research, following a lack of consensus. However, a Parliamentary Panel in July 2026 urged the FSSAI to finalise and notify FoPL regulations in a time-bound manner, stressing the need for simple, colour-coded indicators.
The Ultimate Goal: An Informed Choice
The case for clearer food marketing is fundamentally about public health. With non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart disease on the rise in India, linked to the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods, empowering consumers is more critical than ever. The goal of regulations like FoPL is not to ban certain foods but to provide people with the transparent, honest information they need to make genuinely informed decisions for themselves and their families. The recent enforcement actions by the FSSAI are a welcome step, but they must be followed by systemic change. Clear, mandatory, and easy-to-understand front-of-pack labels are the necessary next step in creating a food environment where the healthy choice is the easy choice.
