80% consumers want FSSAI warning labels for high sugar, salt, or saturated fat: Survey

More than eight in 10 consumers want the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to mandate front-of-pack warning labels from the beginning for packaged foods high in even one of sugar, salt or saturated fat, according to a nationwide LocalCircles survey.

The survey received over 108,000 responses from household consumers across 328 districts. Respondents included 62% men and 38% women, with 45% from Tier-1, 31% from Tier-2 and 24% from Tier-3, 4, 5 and rural districts. The survey had a margin of error of under 4% and a confidence level of over 96%.

READ THIS: Over 2,800 kg of unsafe paneer, khoya, butter destroyed in Delhi ahead of festive season

Among 23,516 respondents answering the question on FSSAI's proposed two-phase system, 80% said warnings should apply immediately when a product is high in any one of the three nutrients. Only 12% supported the proposed two-phase approach, while 6% wanted warnings only when two or more nutrients are high.

88% want labels to be large and visible

The survey also found strong demand for prominent warnings. Of 23,491 respondents, 88% said the label should be large, clearly visible and immediately noticeable on the front of the pack. Only 10% considered the proposed size sufficient.

On nutritional measurement, 53% of 20,525 respondents preferred warnings based on the total amount of sugar, salt and saturated fat in a product. Another 37% wanted both added and total amounts displayed. Together, 90% wanted total amounts reflected, while only 6% supported an added-only approach.

ALSO READ: Delhi woman flies to Mumbai for ₹20 vada pav, spends ₹15,000; netizens call it ‘ameero ke struggle’

Consumers want a 6-month deadline

Speed of implementation was another major demand. Among 20,068 respondents, 88% said food and beverage companies should implement front-of-pack warnings within six months. Only 6% opted for 12 months, while 4% preferred longer timelines or could not say.

Meanwhile, 89% of 20,435 respondents wanted the warnings prominently displayed on e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms before adding products to their carts.