India's food labelling regulations are coming under sharper regulatory scrutiny as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) intensifies enforcement against misleading product claims under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising & Claims) Regulations, 2018.
The regulator has stated that ambiguous and unverifiable claims such as "100%" violate existing regulations, prompting action against multiple food and beverage brands. Product packaging has become one of the most scrutinised areas of compliance, with industry experts noting that labelling violations remain among the most common enforcement actions by FSSAI.
The regulator has also prohibited unsubstantiated functional and therapeutic claims such as "boosts energy levels" and "enhancing focus", leading to regulatory action against energy drink brands including Sting, Campa Gold Boost, Red Bull, Adrenaline Rush, and Hell. Companies have responded by revising product labels or challenging regulatory decisions in court.
In May 2026, clean-label brand The Whole Truth replaced its "no added sugar" claim with "sweetened with dates" following an FSSAI notice, while reports indicate brands such as PepsiCo's Sting are updating labels to remove health-related claims. Following FSSAI's 3 August directive, Dabur announced that it had already initiated the transition to new product labels without the "100%" claim, while simultaneously approaching the Delhi High Court seeking urgent relief against the regulator's latest order.
The heightened focus on labelling comes as health-conscious consumer demand accelerates, with 1DigitalStack reporting that sales of protein bars, makhana, healthy chips, nuts, and seeds on quick-commerce platforms more than doubled to ₹327.7 crore during January–March 2026, compared with ₹154 crore in the corresponding period last year. According to Redseer, two out of every three millennials are willing to pay an average 15% premium for cleaner ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products.
Globally, the European Union and several Latin American countries continue to set benchmarks for food labelling and consumer disclosure. The EU maintains some of the world's strictest food safety standards, including a default pesticide residue limit of 0.01 mg/kg where no specific approval exists, while also enforcing tighter controls on food additives and colourings. Meanwhile, several Latin American countries have pioneered front-of-pack warning labels to address obesity and other non-communicable diseases. The developments highlight how transparent food labelling is becoming a critical competitive and regulatory priority as consumers increasingly demand cleaner, more informative, and scientifically substantiated product claims.
