As ultra-processed foods expand in India’s evolving food marketplace, stronger food safety policies such as front-of-pack labelling and fiscal measures are essential to empower consumers and address rising diet-related non-communicable diseases
As India’s food marketplace expands with an ever-growing range of packaged and processed foods, the question of what constitutes a “safe product” is becoming increasingly important. This year’s World Consumer Rights Day (15 March), led globally by Consumers International, focuses on the theme “Safe Products, Confident Consumers” — a reminder that consumer protection today must also encompass healthier food environments. In India, this theme resonates strongly with the evolving food landscape. While discussions on food safety historically centred on contamination and adulteration, the modern food environment presents a new challenge: navigating a rapidly expanding market of highly processed foods whose long-term health impacts are becoming clearer.
India today faces a complex nutrition landscape. Undernutrition persists, yet diet-related chronic diseases are rising rapidly. Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) show that 24 percent of women and 23 percent of men in India are overweight or obese, a sharp increase from the previous survey round. Meanwhile, the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension is rising across both urban and rural populations. This shift reflects broader dietary transitions linked to urbanisation, rising incomes, and changing lifestyles. Traditional diets centred on whole grains, pulses, and fresh foods are increasingly supplemented with, or replaced by, packaged and convenience foods.
Multiple studies show strong links between diets rich in ultra-processed foods and increased risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders.
A central component of this shift is the rapid growth of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). These products are engineered for convenience and long shelf life, but are often high in added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats while offering limited nutritional value. Multiple studies show strong links between diets rich in ultra-processed foods and increased risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders.
The health implications of these dietary changes are becoming more apparent. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for around 68 percent of all deaths in India, according to national estimates from the Indian Council of Medical Research – India Diabetes Study (ICMR-INDIAB) study. Diets high in salt, sugar, and ultra-processed foods are key contributors to this growing burden.
The global picture is equally concerning. Research published in The Lancet Global Burden of Disease study estimates that poor diets contribute to around 11 million deaths each year globally, making dietary risks one of the leading causes of premature mortality worldwide. International agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have repeatedly warned that unhealthy food environments, characterised by high consumption of salt, sugar, and ultra-processed foods, are driving this escalating health crisis.
Packaging, marketing, and complex ingredient lists often obscure the nutritional profile of processed foods, creating a significant information gap between producers and consumers.
For consumers navigating India’s rapidly expanding food marketplace, however, identifying healthier options is not always straightforward. Packaging, marketing, and complex ingredient lists often obscure the nutritional profile of processed foods, creating a significant information gap between producers and consumers.
Recognising these risks, policy discussions in India have begun exploring fiscal measures to address unhealthy food consumption. The Economic Survey of India 2025–26 highlights the rising intake of ultra-processed foods and suggests placing such products in the highest slab of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure. The rationale is straightforward: higher taxes on foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats can help curb excessive consumption while generating revenue for public health initiatives. Similar measures have been adopted in several countries through levies on sugar-sweetened beverages and other unhealthy foods. For example, Mexico introduced a nationwide tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in 2014, while the United Kingdom (UK) implemented the Soft Drinks Industry Levy in 2016 to incentivise product reformulation. Countries such as Chile and South Africa have also introduced taxes on sugary drinks as part of broader strategies to reduce obesity and diet-related diseases. For India, where dietary transitions are still unfolding, such policy instruments could play a preventive role in mitigating future health burdens.
Taxation alone, however, cannot solve the problem, as consumers also require accessible and easily interpretable information to make healthier purchasing decisions. This is where front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) becomes especially important. In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been developing front-of-pack nutrition labelling frameworks to help consumers quickly identify packaged foods high in fat, sugar, and salt.
According to the findings of Policies to Protect Children from the Harmful Impact of Food Marketing by the World Health Organization (WHO), clear and interpretive nutrition labelling helps consumers rapidly identify foods high in nutrients of concern and supports healthier choices. Unlike detailed nutritional tables on the back of food packages, which are often difficult to interpret quickly, traffic-light or colour-coded FOPL uses simplified visual cues, typically green, amber, and red, to indicate low, medium, or high levels of nutrients of concern such as sugar, salt, and saturated fat, enabling consumers to make more informed food choices.
Measures such as clearer front-of-pack labelling, fiscal policies that disincentivise unhealthy foods, and stronger oversight of food marketing can help bridge the information gap that often shapes consumer food choices.
In India, momentum for stronger nutrition labelling regulations has been steadily increasing. A Consensus Statement on Front-of-Pack Nutrition Warning Labels in India highlights the growing support among public health experts for clear warning labels on packaged foods high in fat, sugar, and salt. The Supreme Court of India has recently emphasised the need for clear front-of-pack warning labels on processed foods so that consumers can easily identify products high in sugar, salt, or unhealthy fats at the point of purchase. Strengthening front-of-pack labelling through this framework could play a critical role in improving consumer awareness, promoting healthier food choices, and addressing the rising burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases in India.
As India’s food markets continue to expand and diversify, consumer protection must evolve alongside them. Measures such as clearer front-of-pack labelling, fiscal policies that disincentivise unhealthy foods, and stronger oversight of food marketing can help bridge the information gap that often shapes consumer food choices. The message of World Consumer Rights Day 2026 is therefore clear: safe products and informed consumers are not only essential for fair markets but also fundamental to building healthier societies.
Shoba Suri is a Senior Fellow with the Health Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Dr. Shoba Suri is a Senior Fellow with ORFs Health Initiative. Shoba is a nutritionist with experience in community and clinical research. She has worked on nutrition, ...
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