India Signals Openness to Stricter Red Warning Labels on Food Packs
The government told the Supreme Court it may combine its two-phase warning label plan into one, potentially expanding red hexagon warnings to more food products.
The Union government has indicated to the Supreme Court that it is willing to tighten proposed red warning labels on packaged foods, a move that could deal a setback to the country's roughly $100 billion food industry.
After years of delay, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) last month proposed a two-stage labelling regime. The first phase would place red hexagonal warnings on products exceeding limits in at least two of three categories — added sugar, salt or saturated fat — with stricter rules to follow in a second phase.
Health experts criticised the plan, arguing that requiring two nutrients to cross thresholds created an industry-friendly loophole and would let many products escape scrutiny.
During a hearing on Thursday, Supreme Court Justice J.B. Pardiwala questioned the phased approach, asking why a product would need to breach both sugar and salt limits before attracting a label. The FSSAI's lawyer, Additional Solicitor General Brijender Chahar, said that after hearing the court, the authority was now suggesting the phases could be rolled out "in one go." That would mean foods high in even one of the three nutrients — added sugar, salt or fat — would carry a red hexagon.
The court is hearing a plea by the health group "3S And Our Health" seeking stricter labelling. The nationwide debate on food safety has intensified since reports last month that the government opted for a weaker labelling regime after lobbying by Coca-Cola and groups backing Nestle and PepsiCo, which argued warning labels were ineffective. Many companies have implemented such measures voluntarily in European markets.
India's food and drinks market is important for foreign players including Nestle, Unilever, Mondelez and Mars, as well as large Indian firms such as ITC and Dabur. Thousands of smaller businesses selling snacks and sweets also operate in the sector.
The All India Food Processors' Association, which represents dozens of Indian and foreign food companies, has sought a review of the planned labels, warning that many staples risk being covered in warnings that could tarnish the image of Indian food globally. Its lawyer held up a food packet in court to argue that "nobody can eat 100 grams of pickle," and said warning labels should be decided on a per-serve basis rather than by analysing salt and sugar content per 100 grams as proposed.
The United States has proposed per-serve front-of-pack labelling, which Indian industry favours, though many other countries use the 100-gram benchmark.
Rising obesity rates and consumption of fatty foods are a growing concern. A recent study published in the Lancet medical journal estimated that some 450 million Indians could be obese or overweight by 2050.
The court said it was concerned about public health, particularly that of children, and expected cooperation from all sides in what it called a cause in the national interest. The judges said they would issue a written order before Friday.