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Labs seek standardised testing protocol for FoPL
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Wednesday, 16 September, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola , New Delhi
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As the Supreme Court of India scrutinises the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over its proposed Front-of-Pack Labelling (FOPL) regime, the ongoing litigation has propelled national attention onto the technical readiness of India's food-testing ecosystem.
With front-of-pack warnings carrying direct commercial and legal consequences for food manufacturers, the precision and standardisation of laboratory testing behind those numbers will be a central operational hurdle.
“The biggest impact will be that nutrition data will face much greater scrutiny. Once nutrient levels can affect how a product is presented to consumers, the accuracy and reliability of the testing behind those numbers become very important,” said Ashwin Bhadri, CEO of Equinox Labs.
India already has a well-established food-testing system. FSSAI has defined testing methods for different food categories, and NABL-accredited laboratories follow ISO/IEC 17025 standards.
While accredited facilities possess routine capabilities for measuring total fat and sodium levels, experts emphasise that the primary challenge lies in applying validated methods consistently across varied food matrices, supported by rigorous sampling procedures.
Bhadri explains that added sugar is more complicated. A lab can measure the sugar in a product, but it may not always be able to determine whether that sugar occurs naturally or has been added during formulation or processing. This is why test results need to be looked at alongside the product’s ingredients, formulation, and the applicable regulatory definitions.
“This becomes important because the ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines set specific levels for added fat, added sugar, and salt. For example, the 2024 guidelines identify added fat above 4.2 g/100 g, added sugar above 3 g/100 g, and salt above 0.625 g/100 g in solid foods as levels of concern. FSSAI’s 2026 draft for foods served in schools also refers to these ICMR-NIN thresholds. Therefore, the more important question is: Do we have sufficient standardisation across laboratories, food matrices, and interpretation of the results?”, quipped Bhadri.
Meanwhile, industry leaders increasingly acknowledge that front-of-pack labelling is an impending reality.
Shippy Sharma, founder & MD, Earthling Consumer Products, said, "I think the move towards front-of-pack warning labels for food products high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat is a very positive step. Consumers should be able to look at two products and compare the nutritional profiles easily rather than deciphering detailed information on the back of the pack.
This move will help consumers make informed choices and I firmly believe that greater transparency will encourage food manufacturers to reformulate products and develop healthier alternatives. Ultimately, a warning label is a tool, but consumer understanding should be the objective.”
As the Supreme Court awaits technical and operational affidavits from the Union Government and FSSAI, testing experts maintain that the ultimate success of front-of-pack warning labels relies directly on uniform scientific enforcement and expanding laboratory capacity must be matched by standardised testing protocols to ensure public and regulatory confidence in package declarations.
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