India: India’s effort to introduce color-coded nutritional warning labels on packaged foods has stalled following opposition from major food and beverage companies, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, as health activists push for stronger consumer protections against products high in sugar, salt and fat. Reuters reported that India’s food regulator has instead proposed a black-and-white nutritional table displaying sugar, fat and salt levels.
Food Companies Challenge Warning Labels
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) abandoned its earlier push for prominent front-of-pack warnings after a contentious meeting with industry representatives in March. According to recordings reviewed by Reuters, industry executives argued that color-coded warnings could be confusing and would have limited impact on consumer behaviour.
A senior Coca-Cola India executive said at the meeting that it was overly simplistic to assume consumers would significantly change their diets because of symbols or icons on packaging. The industry has also argued that Indian food products often contain stronger flavours than Western products, making international approaches to nutritional labelling less applicable.
Health Activists Seek Stronger Consumer Protection
Public-health experts and activists have criticised the proposed black-and-white system, arguing that consumers need clearer warnings about products containing excessive levels of sugar, salt and fat. India’s Supreme Court is examining the regulator’s decision following a petition by public-health activists.
Reuters reported that nearly 80% of products in India’s more than $100 billion packaged food and beverage market could be classified as high in fat, sugar or salt, according to industry estimates. A recent Lancet study has projected that as many as 450 million Indians could be overweight or obese by 2050. Around 20 countries have adopted interpretive front-of-pack systems, including colour-coded warnings, as part of efforts to encourage healthier food choices.