The laws behind every flag
Laddoo invents nothing. Every flag traces back to a published Indian regulation or guideline, listed here in plain language.
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Every rule we apply, with its authority type, clause reference, source document and the state of our stored copy - plus the same set as JSON. No account needed.
FSSAI - Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
The Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Regulations, under the FSS Act, 2006
FSSAI is India's food regulator. Its regulations say which additives may be used and how much, what must be printed on a label, limits for trans fat, and which substances are banned outright. These rules are the law for every packaged food sold in India.
- FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 - which additives are permitted and which are restricted.
- FSS (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011 and 2020 - what a pack must declare, including allergens.
- FSS (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 - things that may not be sold at all.
- Potassium bromate ban, 2016, and the trans fat limit amendment, 2021.
0 rules we apply from this source
- No active rules from this source yet.
PFA - Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
India's older food law, now absorbed into the FSS Act, 2006
Before FSSAI existed, the PFA Act was India's main weapon against adulterated food. Its lists of known adulterants are still used to spot old tricks that should never appear on a modern label. We flag these ingredients at red because they have no place in food at all.
- Adulterant lists from the PFA era - non-permitted colours, artificial sweeteners where not allowed, and fillers.
- Anything on this list is treated as a hard red: not 'sometimes okay', just not allowed.
0 rules we apply from this source
- No active rules from this source yet.
ICMR-NIN - Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024
Guidance, not law - from India's national nutrition institute
The Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Nutrition publish what a sensible everyday diet looks like. These are guidelines rather than laws, so they raise amber flags: fine once in a while, worth watching if it is every day.
- Limits for added sugar, salt and fat in a daily diet.
- Advice on refined flour, deep-fried food and ultra-processed snacks.
- These flags say 'worth knowing', not 'banned'.
0 rules we apply from this source
- No active rules from this source yet.
A careful word
Laws change, and labels change faster. We keep this list updated, but a flag here is guidance for reading a label - not legal advice, and never a claim that a food is unsafe or unlawful. The regulation text itself is always the final word.