India’s food regulator has proposed front-of-pack warning labels on packaged food and drinks, reversing its position following growing public anger about a lack of strict labels to highlight high sugar, fat or salt in items.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has proposed a red-coloured hexagonal shape for food products which are high in any two or more nutrients – saturated fat, sugar or salt – it said in a Supreme Court filing on Friday, seen by Reuters. Activists and the Supreme Court have repeatedly called for them, citing problems like obesity. Because they would not prevent consumers from otherwise having sugary and salty foods, she added that warning labels were pointless.
The move is a major setback for food companies in India’s over $100 billion market where Coca-Cola and industry groups representing Nestle and PepsiCo have long opposed such labels, saying they are confusing.
Indian doctors had done a good job teaching their patients what food should be avoided, she said. The FSSAI buckled, telling the Supreme Court in August that it was “difficult” to match international standards on packaging, echoing the industry position. The court had earlier said India can consider Israel-style labelling, where a red label is applied even if one among salt, sugar or fat is high. The FSSAI’s Friday filing said the labelling will be implemented in phases to give industry time, and single-ingredient food products will be exempted.
New Food Labeling Initiative Aims to Protect Vulnerable Populations
A new mechanism is set to enhance food labeling standards, focusing on helping consumers make informed choices, especially for children and other vulnerable groups. Currently, food producers are only required to provide a list of ingredients and basic nutritional information on packaging. This initiative aims to improve transparency and accessibility of nutritional data, ensuring that all consumers can better understand what they are eating.
