FSSAI eyes 365-day transition for front-of-pack nutrition labels

What to watch next

• Publication of FSSAI's final notification, including the exact transition date, enforcement start and sell-through treatment for old inventory.
• Whether the final format uses interpretive warning labels, nutrient scores, traffic-light indicators or only front-facing numerical disclosures.
• Final thresholds for sugar, sodium, saturated fat, trans fat and calories, plus exemptions for traditional foods, small packs, exports and specialised nutrition products.
• Requirements governing 'healthy', 'low', 'natural' and related front-of-pack claims after the new disclosure regime begins.
• Industry association submissions, litigation risk and requests for staggered deadlines for MSMEs and contract manufacturers.
• Early reformulation announcements, packaging procurement commentary and inventory provisions from listed FMCG and food companies.
• Retailer adoption of nutrition-based shelf tags, private-label reformulation or marketplace filters that amplify the regulatory change.
• Begin a SKU-by-SKU nutrition and artwork audit, prioritising high-volume packs and products near likely sugar, sodium and fat thresholds.
• Reserve packaging-conversion capacity and budget for plate changes, artwork approvals, regulatory review and write-down risk on obsolete packaging inventory.
• Model reformulation economics for exposed categories, including taste retention, ingredient costs, shelf-life effects and whether revised recipes alter GST, claims or consumer positioning.
• Use the transition period to consolidate fragmented pack formats and synchronise mandatory label changes with planned price, gram weight, brand-refresh or portfolio rationalisation actions.
• Prepare retailer and consumer communication for products likely to display less favourable nutrient information; strengthen visibility for compliant or reformulated lines.
• Monitor competitor label design and reformulation timing, as early movers may capture health-conscious shoppers but also draw attention to laggards.