HFSS Foods, Ultra-Processed Foods and the Need for Stronger Food Regulation in India

22 Jun 2026

GS II: Issues related to Health

Context: The aggressive marketing of High Fat, Sugar and Sodium (HFSS) foods and Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) through television, social media, celebrity endorsements, and child-targeted campaigns has emerged as a major public health concern. It compromises the right to informed choice, especially of children, while worsening India’s burden of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Key Concepts

HFSS foods: HFSS refers to foods High in Fat, Sugar and Sodium, which are highly palatable but nutritionally poor.
Ultra-Processed Foods: Ultra-Processed Foods are factory-made products containing additives, preservatives, synthetic flavours, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and acidity regulators.
Bliss point: Bliss point is the scientifically engineered combination of sugar, salt, and fat that maximises pleasure and triggers repeat consumption.
Right to informed choice: Consumers, especially children and parents, must receive accurate and complete information about food products before making consumption decisions.

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How Junk Food Advertising Manipulates Consumers

Selective disclosure: Companies highlight positive claims such as “baked,” “no maida,” “12 grains,” “high fibre,” or “natural,” while hiding high levels of sugar, fat, sodium, and additives.
Health-washing of unhealthy products: Unhealthy products are presented as healthy through misleading packaging, selective labelling, and attractive nutritional claims.
Celebrity endorsement: Celebrities create trust and emotional appeal, making children and families more likely to accept misleading health claims.
Targeting of children: Children are vulnerable to cartoons, jingles, colourful packaging, gaming tie-ins, and influencer marketing because they lack mature nutritional judgement.
Demand creation: Advertisements do not merely reflect consumer demand; they actively create cravings, aspirations, and repeat purchase behaviour.
Digital amplification: Social media and short-video platforms allow brands to repeatedly target children and youth through algorithm-driven advertising.

Public Health Implications

Obesity: High-calorie and low-nutrition foods contribute to unhealthy weight gain, especially among children.
Diabetes and insulin resistance: High sugar and refined carbohydrate content increase the risk of Type-2 diabetes.
Hypertension: Excess sodium consumption contributes to high blood pressure.
Cardiovascular diseases: High fat, sugar, and salt intake increases the risk of heart disease.
Gut health concerns: Additives, emulsifiers, and synthetic ingredients may affect gut microbiota and digestion.
Early formation of unhealthy habits: Childhood exposure to junk food advertisements creates long-term food preferences and weakens traditional dietary habits.

Governance and Regulatory Concerns

Regulatory vacuum: India has discussed restrictions on HFSS and unhealthy food marketing, but enforcement remains weak and fragmented.
Weak front-of-pack labelling: Without clear warning labels, consumers may not understand the real health risk of packaged food.
School food environment: Nutrition education alone is ineffective if children encounter junk food in school canteens, nearby shops, and media advertisements.
Corporate profit versus public health: Food companies may prioritise sales, market share, and brand loyalty over long-term public health.
Misleading digital advertisements: Influencer marketing and disguised paid promotions create new regulatory challenges.

Policy and Judicial Context

National Multisectoral Action Plan: India’s policy framework has recognised the need to address non-communicable diseases and regulate HFSS foods, but implementation remains limited.
Supreme Court concern: Misleading advertisements have increasingly been treated as a consumer-rights and public-health issue, particularly affecting vulnerable groups.
Economic Survey concern: Recent policy discussions have flagged unhealthy diets and ultra-processed foods as important public health risks.
FSSAI-led regulation: The food regulator must ensure transparent labelling, strict nutritional standards, and action against misleading claims.
Global Good Practices:
Chile: Chile uses strong front-of-pack warning labels to identify unhealthy food products.
Mexico: Mexico has adopted warning labels and regulatory steps to discourage excessive consumption of unhealthy foods.
Brazil: Brazil discourages ultra-processed food consumption and promotes healthier dietary guidelines and school food regulation.

Way Forward

Mandatory front-of-pack warning labels: Products high in sugar, salt, or fat should carry clear warning labels similar to tobacco warnings.
Pigovian taxation: Unhealthy foods that impose social health costs should face higher taxation to discourage consumption and fund public health.
Advertisement-free school zones: Junk food advertisements should be restricted near schools, anganwadis, playgrounds, and child-centric spaces.
Regulation of celebrity and influencer endorsements: Celebrities and influencers must be held accountable for misleading health claims.
Clear disclosure norms: Brands should disclose sugar, salt, fat, additives, and degree of processing in simple, visible, and comparable formats.
Promotion of local food systems: Traditional, local, seasonal, and minimally processed foods should be promoted through schools, public campaigns, and community nutrition programmes.
Nutrition literacy: Citizens should be taught how to read labels, identify misleading claims, and understand the difference between real food and ultra-processed products.

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Conclusion

Junk food advertising is not merely a market issue; it is a public health, consumer protection, and ethical governance challenge. India must shift from voluntary disclosure to enforceable regulation so that children’s health and citizens’ right to informed choice are protected against manipulative food marketing.