Dev Narsinghani

India Label Index 2026 / Warning labels

If India used Chile's warning labels: 7 in 10 Indian packaged foods would carry a warning label

FSSAI has proposed red warnings on the front of packaged food. Before it named its limits, I tested Indian packs against the limits Chile has used since 2019. For FSSAI's own limits, see If FSSAI's warning labels started today.

By . He writes about food labels, sleep and AI for marketing.

Published · 687 Indian packaged foods with a full nutrition table and ingredient list

69%would carry at least one warning
53%would carry two or more
98%of biscuits would carry one
94%of chips would carry one

Quick answers

How many Indian packaged foods would get a warning under Chile's rules?

69% of the 687 foods I could test would carry at least one warning, and 53% would carry two or more.

Which foods would be hit hardest?

Biscuits: 98% would carry a warning. Chips: 94%.

Which warning would be most common?

High in calories, on 54% of foods. High in sugar would be on 39%, high in saturated fat on 35% and high in salt on 24%.

Are these FSSAI's rules?

No. FSSAI has proposed red front-of-pack warnings but has not published its final limits. This uses Chile's limits, the model many countries have copied, to show what such a rule could look like in India. Chile's warnings are black octagons; FSSAI's proposal is a red label.

Share that would carry at least one warning
Biscuits and cookies: 98% (from 53 products)Biscuits and cookies98% Chocolate and confectionery: 96% (from 48 products)Chocolate and confectionery96% Chips and crisps: 94% (from 34 products)Chips and crisps94% Breakfast cereals and muesli: 76% (from 41 products)Breakfast cereals and muesli76% Sauces, ketchup and spreads: 74% (from 62 products)Sauces, ketchup and spreads74% Yoghurt and curd: 33% (from 87 products)Yoghurt and curd33% Flours, grains and pulses: 27% (from 30 products)Flours, grains and pulses27%

Categories with at least 30 products that could be tested. From 687 foods in all.

Each warning

WarningShare of foods
High in calories54%
High in sugar38.9%
High in saturated fat35.4%
High in salt (sodium)24.5%

The rules I used

Chile's final limits, in force since 2019 (Global Food Research Program summary). A solid food gets a warning at 275 kcal, 400 mg of sodium, 10 g of sugar or 4 g of saturated fat in 100 g. A drink gets one at 70 kcal, 100 mg, 5 g or 3 g in 100 ml.

Chile only puts a warning on a food when that nutrient was added. So here a sugar warning needs a sugar in the ingredient list, a salt warning needs salt, and a fat warning needs an oil or fat. The calorie warning counts when any of the three was added. Plain foods, like plain curd or a single spice, get no warning.

What this can't tell you

  • These are Chile's limits, not India's. FSSAI's final rule is still being written, and its limits may be higher or lower.
  • The data is from Open Food Facts, filled in by volunteers. Only 687 Indian foods had every number needed, so treat category numbers as rough.
  • Drinks are judged per 100 ml using the per 100 g values, which are close for most drinks.
  • It covers categories, not brands, and rates no product.

Data and code: https://github.com/devnarsinghani22/india-label-index (warnings.py). Part of the India Label Index 2026.

Narsinghani, D. (2026). If India used Chile's warning labels: 7 in 10 Indian packaged foods would carry a warning label. India Label Index 2026. https://devnarsinghani22.github.io/india-label-index/warning-labels/. Data from Open Food Facts (ODbL).