The increasing dependence of consumers on packaged food—driven by changing lifestyles, tight work schedules, and evolving food preferences—has led to a situation where consumers continue to consume packaged foods without reading the labels or seeking information on sugar content; as a result, regulatory measures will not effectively empower consumers to make informed choices regarding the rising burden of lifestyle diseases. In traditional food practices, mothers acquire expertise based on traditional knowledge passed down from one generation to the next about the amount of different ingredients, including sugar and salt, to maintain healthy standards of meals they prepare for their children and other family members. Packaged food replaced the cooked food in traditional kitchens and now fills the shelves. Building awareness among consumers to understand what is written on food labels is essential to reduce the burden of lifestyle diseases due to uncontrolled consumption of packaged food with high sugar content. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on ‘Regulation of Packed Commodities with Specific Reference to Sugar Content in Baby Products and Other Food’, which is part of the Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has issued a timely warning about the negative impact on public health caused by a lack of consumer awareness and insufficient enforcement of regulatory measures. The committee has correctly warned that even though the current rules from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India require labels on packaged foods to show total sugar and added sugar amounts, just having this information may not be enough to solve the health problems caused by high sugar intake. Its observation that without consistent labelling rules for all food types, consumers might receive mixed information, making it hard to compare products and make informed choices, points to a serious issue in regulations that need immediate government action. The parliamentary panel suggests that having the same rules for showing sugar information and labels on all food products, without any exceptions, would help consumers make better choices by allowing them to easily compare different packaged foods. The FSSAI regulation on sugar content labels in packaged food follows the WHO guidelines from 2015, which advise that both adults and children should lower their intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake throughout their lives. The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 mandate clear and standardized declarations such as net quantity, maximum retail price (MRP), consumer care details, etc. in line with global practice. The FSSAI, on the other hand, prescribes the nutritional labelling norms, including declarations related to sugar, fat, energy and other nutrient values. The FSSAI’s submission to the committee points out that the top food regulator has approved a plan to require nutritional information about added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat to be shown in bold and larger text on packaged food labels so consumers can better understand the nutritional value of products and make healthier choices. The pertinent question that needs to be answered is what percentage of consumers continue to consume packaged foods without reading the labels or seeking information on sugar content. The regulatory measures will hinder the achievement of the desired objectives, which aim to empower consumers to make informed choices based on accurate information from interpretive food labels regarding their health impacts. If consumers keep consuming packaged foods without reading the labels and searching for information on sugar content, the regulatory measures will not help achieve the desired objectives of empowering consumers to make informed choices about consuming packaged food, even when food business operators may be accurately displaying all the relevant information. Intensifying the public awareness campaign by FSSAI – “Aaj Se Thoda Kam” (a small amount of sugar from today), which encourages people to reduce their intake of sugar, salt, and fat and raise awareness about the health risks associated with high sugar consumption, can be more effective when awareness is also raised among all sections of consumers about the importance of reading the label beyond checking the manufacturing date, price, and “best before” date. The committee’s report from the Department of Consumer Affairs highlights the critical challenge of low awareness among rural consumers regarding reading and interpreting food labels. The “Har Label Kuch Kehta Hai” (Every Label Speaks) campaign launched by FSSAI is a laudable initiative to promote food safety consciousness and healthy eating habits and empower consumers to make informed dietary choices by enhancing their understanding of food labels. Demand for packaged food in rural areas has also led to the flooding of rural markets with packaged foods and changing food habits among rural consumers. This situation demands that the awareness campaign aimed at reducing sugar intake and strengthening label literacy under the FSSAI’s umbrella campaign of Eat Right to promote healthy eating be intensified among both urban and rural consumers. Combining regulatory measures with intensification of consumer awareness is essential to ensure healthier food choices.