India, Sept. 25 -- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed single-phasefront-of-pack warning labels for packaged foods high in added sugar, fat or salt, in its Tuesday response to the Supreme Court. The proposal follows the court's September 10 direction to reconsider FSSAI's earlier two-phase plan and clarify the label's design, placement and rollout. A red hexagon on a white square, placed at the top left of the pack, would state "HIGH SUGAR", "HIGH FAT" or "HIGH SALT". If there are multiple nutrients that don't follow the proposed thresholds by ICMR-NIN's 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians, they shall be listed in one hexagon. FSSAI prefers added sugar and added fat over total sugar and saturated fat, and said pictorial symbols could confuse consumers. A separate front-of-pack declaration is also proposed for non-caloric sweeteners. FSSAI estimates four months for consultation and finalisation, followed by a 365-day voluntary transition for food businesses to use existing packaging. The proposal is therefore not an immediate mandatory change. The case stems from a PIL by 3S and Our Health Society seeking front-of-pack warnings, particularly to help children identify foods high in nutrients of concern. The bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran also asked FSSAI to address whether reducing sugar, salt and fat could increase manufacturers' use of additives such as preservatives and emulsifiers. The Supreme Court will now hear the matter on Monday.HTC...