Colour-Coded Food Labels in India: More Than Just Colours

Colour-Coded Food Labels in India: More Than Just Colours

1. Green & Brown/Brown-Triangle Symbols: Veg vs. Non-Veg

Under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, every pre-packaged food item in India must prominently display a green circle (inside a square) if it is strictly vegetarian, and a brown circle—more recently updated to a brown-filled triangle—if it is non-vegetarian, meaning it contains meat, fish, eggs, or any animal derivatives (except honey or milk) (Reddit, Wikipedia).

• Size and placement: The symbol must be clearly visible on the principal display panel, near the product name, and sized according to the package dimensions (e.g., at least 3 mm for panels up to 100 cm², 4 mm for up to 500 cm², and so on) (Food Safety Helpline).
• Penalties: Mislabeling or omission can result in fines, license suspension, or even imprisonment in case of repeated violations under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Food Safety Helpline, Legal Salaah).

2. Traffic-Light Nutritional Warning: Red for High Fat, Sugar, Salt

FSSAI has proposed—and is gradually implementing—a traffic-light labelling system on the front of food packs to warn consumers about high levels of fat, sugar, or salt (HFSS). Products exceeding certain thresholds are marked with red labels for the respective nutrient category, alerting consumers, particularly concerned parents and health-conscious shoppers (FoodNavigator-Asia.com).

These HFSS products, once marked red, may face restrictions on marketing to children, including bans on advertising near schools or in child-targeted media (FoodNavigator-Asia.com).

3. Food Colour Additives: Listing & Safety via INS

India’s regulations allow only a limited set of approved food colour additives, both natural and synthetic, identified by International Numbering System (INS) codes—e.g., INS 127 (Erythrosine), INS 133 (Brilliant Blue FCF), INS 143 (Fast Green FCF), and several others (Wikipedia).

Manufacturers must:

• Declare whether they contain natural, synthetic, or both colour types.
• List all colours by INS number or name, under a clear “CONTAINS PERMITTED … COLOUR(S)” statement, placed beneath the ingredient list (Food Safety Helpline).
• Adhere to usage limits, generally up to 100 ppm, or 200 ppm in special food categories like syrups, beverages, or confectionery (Complybook).

4. FPO Mark & FSSAI Licensing: Ensuring Food Safety

Processed fruit products (jams, juices, squashes, pickles) must carry the FPO (Fruit Products Order) mark, indicating compliance with hygiene, processing, and additive standards under the FSS Act, 2006 (Wikipedia).

Similarly, all food business operators must carry a valid FSSAI license or registration, clearly stated on their packaging, with mechanisms for consumer feedback and traceability (corpbiz.io).

Why This Matters for Public Health & Consumer Protection

1. Immediate dietary guidance
   • Vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian symbols meet religious and dietary preferences.
   • Traffic-light labels help consumers spot unhealthy nutritional profiles at a glance.
2. Transparency & trust
   • Mandatory listing of food colours and additives with INS codes fosters informed choice and helps identify banned or excessive substances.
3. Legal safeguards
   • The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 empower consumers to file complaints against misleading or unsafe labelling—whether its undisclosed additives, missing symbols, or health claims.
4. Health protection
   • Identifying HFSS products protects children and individuals from obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and other non-communicable illnesses.
   • Precise labelling helps people with allergies, food sensitivities, or dietary restrictions avoid harmful ingredients or colourants.

From Label to Action: Consumer Awareness is Key

• Read labels carefully: Look for the green/brown symbol, nutritional traffic-lights, INS numbers, and FSSAI/FPO certifications.
• Report issues: Mislabelling or banned additives can be flagged to the FSSAI or consumer forums under the Consumer Protection Act, which supports grievance redressal.
• Advocate for clarity: Colour-blind individuals may have difficulty distinguishing green from brown—textual cues (“Vegetarian” vs. “Non-Vegetarian”) are equally important.

In Summary

India’s colour-coded food labelling—including vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian icons, front-of-pack nutritional warnings, INS-based additive disclosures, and mandatory certification marks—forms a robust system aiming to protect public health and empower consumers. Compliance is legally enforceable, and non-compliance can result in penalties or legal action under food safety and consumer protection laws. The effectiveness of this system, however, depends on consumer awareness—learning to decode these symbols is the first step toward making healthy, informed choices.