Health Ministry orders fat and sugar warning boards for popular snacks
Ministry of Health has directed central government institutions to install prominent ‘oil and sugar’ boards for street foods like samosas.
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In a decisive move to tackle India’s growing crisis of obesity, diabetes and non‑communicable diseases, the Ministry of Health has mandated that every major central government facility install clear, visually prominent “oil and sugar boards” next to street snacks like samosas, jalebis, vada pav and laddoos.
These signs aim to highlight the hidden calories and harmful contents.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) confirmed the development while welcoming the directive. Taking it to X (formerly Twitter), ICMR shared, "Thanks to Hon’ble @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji's push for healthier workplaces, @MoHFW_INDIA has urged all govt offices to prominently display Sugar Boards. Sharing model Sugar Boards to display in offices. Tag us in your stories/posts."
The move is being compared to the early days of anti-tobacco labelling.
"It’s the beginning of food labelling becoming as serious as cigarette warnings… Sugar and trans fats are the new tobacco. People deserve to know what they’re eating,” said Amar Amale, president of the Cardiological Society of India in Nagpur recently told media.
This policy is backed by a mounting set of health statistics.: India has approximately 77 million diabetics, around 25 million pre‑diabetic adults, and over 50% of patients are unaware of their condition. The Lancet predicts that by 2050 nearly 450 million Indians will be overweight or obese—with one in five urban adults already categorized as such.
Beyond the direct signage effort, India is pursuing broader regulatory reforms. In April 2025, the Supreme Court issued a three-month deadline for the government to finalize front-of-pack labelling rules targeting packaged foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), earlier in July 2024, approved rules to mandate bold, enlarged display of sugar, salt and saturated fat values as percentages of the recommended daily intake on product packaging.
