How to Read Food Labels in India — Complete FSSAI Guide

The FSSAI Mandatory Label Requirements

Under FSSAI regulations, every packaged food sold in India must display:

1. Product name — must not be misleading
2. List of ingredients — in descending order by weight
3. Nutritional information — per 100g and per serving (energy, protein, carbohydrate, sugar, fat, saturated fat, sodium)
4. Net quantity — weight or volume
5. Date markings — Best Before or Use By date
6. Manufacturer details — name, address, FSSAI license number
7. Country of origin
8. Allergen information — if applicable
9. Vegetarian/Non-vegetarian mark — green dot (veg) or brown/red dot (non-veg)

Reading the Ingredients List — The Most Important Skill

Rule 1: Order = quantity. The ingredient listed first is present in the largest amount by weight. If sugar is third on the list, there is more sugar than the fourth ingredient — but there may still be enormous amounts.

Rule 2: Sugar has 50+ names. Manufacturers use multiple sugar names to prevent any single sugar from appearing at the top of the list. Watch for:

• Glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, galactose
• Corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, malt syrup
• Dextrose, maltodextrin (partially — it raises blood sugar like sugar)
• Evaporated cane juice, cane sugar, coconut sugar
• Honey, jaggery, maple syrup (still sugar)

If a product lists 3–4 different sugar names, they collectively may make sugar the largest ingredient — even though no single sugar appears first.

Rule 3: The shorter the list, the less processed. Traditional whole foods have one ingredient (ragi flour = ragi). Highly processed products have 20–30 ingredients. Ingredient list length is a practical proxy for processing level.

Rule 4: Ingredients you cannot pronounce. Artificial flavours (coded as numbers or INS codes), preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilisers — these are processing aids absent from whole food. A long list of INS codes indicates high industrial processing.

The Serving Size Manipulation

FSSAI allows manufacturers to define their own serving size. This is regularly exploited:

• A 100g packet of biscuits (5–6 biscuits) lists the serving as 1 biscuit (17g)
• Per serving: 80 calories, 3g sugar
• Actual consumption (5 biscuits): 400 calories, 15g sugar

Always check per 100g values, not per-serving values, for comparison across products.

Decoding Health Claims

FSSAI approved health claims must be pre-approved and evidence-based. Common examples:

• “Good source of calcium” — must contain ≥15% of RDA per serving
• “High in fibre” — must contain ≥6g/100g

Unapproved but common claims (treat with scepticism):

• “Immunity booster” — no FSSAI-approved claim for this on most products
• “Brain food” — marketing language, not a regulated claim
• “Gut friendly” — unless it is a probiotic product with live cultures
• “Natural” — no legal definition in India; means nothing specific

The 5-Second Label Check — A Practical Routine

When buying packaged food, in 5 seconds:

1. Check first 3 ingredients — are they whole foods or refined/sugar?
2. Check sugar per 100g — below 5g is low; above 15g is high
3. Count ingredients — fewer than 10 is generally better
4. Spot check for names you can’t identify — excessive codes = high processing

This is not perfect but dramatically improves purchasing decisions without requiring extensive study.

Q

What does the green dot and red/brown dot on Indian food packaging mean?

A

The green circle with a leaf symbol indicates a vegetarian product — no meat, fish, eggs, or their derivatives were used. The brown or red circle with a dot indicates a non-vegetarian product — contains meat, fish, or eggs. This system is mandatory on all packaged food in India. Note: some products use flavourings derived from animal sources — manufacturers are supposed to declare these under the non-vegetarian mark, but enforcement is inconsistent. If you are vegetarian for religious reasons, also check ingredients for 'natural flavour' which can sometimes be animal-derived.

Q

The label says 'Contains real fruit' — how much fruit is actually in it?

A

FSSAI does not mandate a minimum fruit percentage for a product to claim it 'contains real fruit.' A product with 2% fruit juice concentrate can legally make this claim. To find out how much fruit is actually present, look at the ingredients list: fruit or fruit juice listed near the end means it is a minor ingredient. A product that claims fruit content should list the actual fruit percentage on the label — but this is not always required. 'Made with real fruit' can mean a very small amount of fruit in an otherwise refined sugar and artificial flavour product.