NEW DELHI: India’s proposed front-of-pack food warning labels are facing opposition from both health experts and food companies, with activists warning the rules could leave unhealthy products without warnings while manufacturers argue the proposed thresholds are too strict.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a red-coloured hexagonal warning for packaged foods exceeding limits for at least two of three nutrients: added sugar, salt or saturated fat.
The proposal comes as India’s packaged food industry, valued at more than $100 billion, faces growing pressure over the nutritional content of processed foods.
Why are health experts challenging the proposed labels?
Health experts have raised concerns about the requirement that a product exceed limits for two nutrients before receiving a warning. They argue that products high in only one nutrient could escape scrutiny.
Barry Popkin, a professor at the University of North Carolina, said the approach differed from warning-label systems used elsewhere, where separate warnings can identify individual excessive nutrients.
The health group 3S And Our Health has prepared a submission challenging the proposal, citing what it describes as loopholes, including exemptions for honey, jaggery and other products naturally high in sugar or fat.
The proposal has been presented to India’s Supreme Court, which is due to consider the matter on Sept. 10.
Why is the food industry opposing the rules?
Food companies are also objecting to the proposed system, particularly the use of a 100-gram benchmark rather than serving sizes to determine whether products require warnings.
Industry executives argue that consumers typically eat much smaller quantities of products such as pickles, ketchup and traditional sweets.
The proposed thresholds would require warnings on solid foods containing more than 3% added sugar by weight and products exceeding 4.2% fat, levels industry representatives say could result in warnings appearing on a large proportion of packaged foods.
India’s Federation of Sweets and Namkeen Manufacturers, representing about 5,000 members, said many traditional products could receive warnings because sugar, salt and fat are integral to their recipes.
The government has cited rising obesity concerns and increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods as reasons for strengthening food labelling rules.
A Lancet study estimated that 180 million Indian adults were overweight or obese in 2021, with the number projected to rise to 450 million by 2050.