Top 20 Food News Stories — India & World

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Here are the major food, food-safety, agriculture, restaurant and food-industry stories in focus today.

🇮🇳 India Food News

1. India’s Food Inflation Climbs to 5.95%
   India’s Consumer Food Price Index rose to 5.95% in August, up from 5.52% in July and the highest level in 19 months. Ginger, onions, garlic, sugar, chicken and mustard oil were among the products recording significant price increases.
2. Food Prices Face More Pressure From Weak Monsoon and El Niño
   Irregular monsoon rainfall, strengthening El Niño conditions and geopolitical tensions are raising concerns about crop supplies and keeping the outlook for food prices elevated.
3. Supreme Court Seeks Answers on Front-of-Pack Food Labels
   The Supreme Court has sought detailed explanations from the government and FSSAI on 13 aspects of proposed front-of-pack warning labels, including their colour, shape, size and placement.
4. India Considers Tougher Red Warning Labels on Packaged Foods
   The government has indicated that it is open to introducing stricter red warning labels for foods high in sugar, salt or saturated fat, potentially accelerating implementation rather than following a prolonged phased approach.
5. FSSAI Gives Beverage Giants Deadline to Relabel Energy Drinks
   PepsiCo, Red Bull and Monster have been given until September 29 to remove the “energy drink” label and certain allegedly misleading claims from affected products.
6. Gujarat Launches Statewide Food Safety Drive at Student Hostels
   Following a food-poisoning incident involving 85 students in Surat, Gujarat has launched inspections of school and college hostels and canteens. On the first day, 200 institutions were inspected, 114 food samples collected, 61 improvement notices issued and one licence suspended.
7. Zomato Inspects Gurgaon Kitchens Over Analogue Paneer
   Zomato has been inspecting partner restaurants in Gurgaon after banning analogue dairy products from its platform. The inspections are focused on ensuring restaurants use genuine dairy paneer rather than substitutes containing vegetable fats or oils.
8. Haryana’s Analogue Paneer Ban Triggers Restaurant Checks
   Haryana has imposed a one-year ban on analogue paneer amid food-safety concerns, prompting restaurants and delivery platforms to tighten checks on dairy suppliers and kitchen practices.
9. Restaurant Industry Tightens Food-Safety Compliance in Kolkata
   Restaurant associations in Kolkata are advising eateries facing hygiene-related licence action to segregate vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods, label stored food and maintain purchase records before inspections scheduled after the September 22 compliance deadline.
10. Bhopal Food-Safety Shutdown Drive Faces Questions
    A Bhopal eatery that the municipal corporation said had been shut was later found operating during a Food Safety Administration inspection, raising questions about coordination and enforcement of closure orders.
11. Maharashtra Suspends 199 Eatery Licences
    Maharashtra’s food-safety authorities have suspended 199 eatery licences following inspections that uncovered problems including pest infestations, uncovered raw meat and poor kitchen hygiene.
12. FSSAI Recalls Products Over Safety Violations
    The food regulator has ordered recalls of two products after testing found safety-standard violations, continuing the country’s intensified enforcement campaign.
13. Bihar Food-Safety Drive Destroys Adulterated Milk and Paneer
    Bihar authorities recently destroyed 147 litres of milk and 144 kg of paneer during an enforcement operation after detecting adulteration and formalin contamination.
14. Burger King India Opens Its 600th Restaurant
    Burger King India has reached the 600-restaurant milestone, opening its latest outlet in Delhi’s GTB Nagar—the same city where its Indian journey began.
15. Chefex India 2026 to Bring Food and Hospitality Industry Together in Chandigarh
    Chandigarh is preparing to host Chefex India 2026 from September 18–20 at Parade Ground, bringing together food, catering, restaurant, hotel and hospitality professionals.

🌎 World Food News

16. UK Grocery Inflation Rises to 2.3%
    British grocery-price inflation increased to 2.3% in the four weeks to September 6, up from 2.1% previously. Fresh fish was among the categories experiencing particularly strong price increases.
17. UK Food Inflation Could Approach 4% by Year-End
    Industry forecasts suggest British food inflation could climb toward 4% by the end of 2026 and exceed 6% by mid-2027, with drought, El Niño and geopolitical disruptions among the pressures.
18. Global Food Prices Hit Highest Level Since Late 2022
    The FAO Food Price Index reached 133.3 points in August, its highest level since late 2022, as extreme weather, geopolitical tensions and disrupted trade raised concerns over food supplies.
19. FAO Cuts Global Cereal Production Forecast
    The FAO has reduced its 2026 global cereal-production forecast to 2.980 billion tonnes, 3.4 million tonnes below its previous estimate and about 2% below 2025, although the projected output would still be the second-highest on record.
20. Australia Investigates Alleged Food Fraud and Misleading Origin Claims
    Australia’s competition regulator is investigating allegations of food fraud involving potentially misleading country-of-origin claims and possible adulteration of supermarket products.

🔥 Biggest Food Themes Today

Food inflation • Food safety crackdown • FSSAI warning labels • Analogue paneer • Energy-drink labelling • Monsoon and El Niño risks • Global food prices • Restaurant hygiene • Food adulteration • Agricultural supply concerns