New food labels: What your snack won't be able to hide anymore

From supermarket aisles to kitchen shelves, packaged foods have become a daily staple.

- S Farah Rizvi

But hidden in those colourful wrappers are sugars, salts, and fats driving India's epidemic of lifestyle diseases. Soon, every packet will carry a star rating and warning signs up front, making sure the risks are no longer tucked away in fine print. In a landmark step to fight lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, India is set to introduce a new food labelling system. By October, packaged foods could carry two key markers: the Indian Nutrition Rating (INR), a star-based score, and Front-of-Pack Nutrition Warning Labels (FOPNL). The move follows a Supreme Court directive, which asked the Centre to finalise food safety norms within three months after a PIL was filed by NGOs 3S and Our Health.