21 of 27 grain-word packs would carry FSSAI's proposed warning label
A fair comparison shows that 18 of 23 grain-word packs with a food category would carry FSSAI's proposed warning label, about as often as the plain packs in their own category. At the warning rate of the plain packs in their own category, 19.1 of the 23 would be expected to carry it, and 18 do.
How to check a pack yourself
- Read the back. Turn the pack over and skip the front name. Look at the nutrition table per 100 g.
- Check salt first. Multiply sodium by 2.5 to find salt. If it is high, the pack would carry FSSAI's proposed warning label.
- Look at fat and sugar. Check if added fat or added sugar is high. If yes, the pack would carry FSSAI's proposed warning label.
Quick answers
Does a grain word mean healthier
No. 21 of 27 grain-word packs would carry FSSAI's proposed warning label. A fair comparison shows that 18 of 23 grain-word packs with a food category would carry it, about as often as the plain packs in their own category. At the warning rate of the plain packs in their own category, 19.1 of the 23 would be expected to carry it, and 18 do.
Why grain-word packs still get the warning
Of the 21 grain-word packs that would carry FSSAI's proposed warning label, 15 are high in added fat, 13 are high in salt, and 8 are high in added sugar. A pack can be high in more than one.
Bread and cereals with grain words
All 7 bread and bakery packs with grain words (like breads, kulcha, and chapati) would carry FSSAI's proposed warning label. All 7 are warned for salt. Seven of 12 breakfast cereals and muesli with grain words would also carry the warning.
How a name was counted
The product name is read after removing the brand's own words. So, a brand with a health word in its name is never counted. Grain words like whole wheat, oats, and ragi are counted. Other healthy-sounding words like healthy or natural are also counted, and their results are in the data file.
Is the warning in force
No. FSSAI's proposed warning label is not in force. It is a proposal from FSSAI as of 23 September 2026. The Supreme Court has not ruled on it yet.
Every measure
| Measure | FSSAI's proposed warning |
|---|---|
| Packs with a grain word in the name | 78% (21 of 27) |
| Packs with no healthy-sounding word | 84% (403 of 482) |
| Grain-word packs with a category, warned against expected at the plain rate | 18 against 19.1 (of 23) |
| Bread and bakery packs with a grain word | 100% (7 of 7) |
| Breakfast cereals and muesli with a grain word | 58% (7 of 12) |
How I did it
I checked 549 Indian packaged foods from Open Food Facts. These are non-staple foods with full nutrition tables and ingredient lists. I left out supplements, staples, and 106 single-ingredient foods like plain rolled oats. A pack would carry FSSAI's proposed warning label if any one of added sugar, added fat, or salt is high, based on the ICMR-NIN limits. The fat count is an upper estimate because labels give total fat, not added fat. When an oil or fat is listed, all the fat counts as added. The lists come from Open Food Facts, entered by volunteers, so they are not a random sample. The numbers are small, so read the shares as rough. FSSAI's proposed warning label is not in force. The Supreme Court has not ruled. No brands are named.
What this can't tell you
- The lists come from Open Food Facts, entered by volunteers, so they are not a random sample.
- The numbers are small (27 grain-word packs), so read the shares as rough.
- Labels give total fat, not added fat, so when an oil or fat is listed all the fat counts as added: an upper estimate.
- FSSAI's warning is a proposal. The Supreme Court has not ruled.
- No brands are named.
Data and code
- Every number on this page with the count behind it (CSV) and the full results (JSON)
- Code: https://github.com/devnarsinghani22/india-label-index (names.py)
- Licence: the data comes from Open Food Facts under the Open Database License. You can reuse these numbers with credit to Open Food Facts and this page.
See also If FSSAI's warning labels started today. Part of the India Label Index 2026.
Narsinghani, D. (2026). Grain-word packs and FSSAI warnings. India Label Index 2026. https://devnarsinghani22.github.io/india-label-index/healthy-names/. Data from Open Food Facts (ODbL). DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23245061.