Key facts
- India's food regulator is open to stricter front-of-pack warning labels on packaged food and drinks.
- The regulator proposed initial labels for products high in at least two of three categories: added sugar, salt, or saturated fat.
- FSSAI indicated openness to placing labels on products high in just one of these ingredients from the start.
- The Supreme Court questioned the regulator's proposed two-phased approach to implementing warning labels.
- Activists had criticized the phased approach as too lenient.
- Food companies have opposed such labels, citing confusion and ineffectiveness.
India's food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has indicated to the nation's Supreme Court that it is open to implementing stricter front-of-pack warning labels on packaged food and drinks immediately. This stance comes after criticism that the regulator was delaying the process by proposing a two-phased approach.
Previously, the FSSAI had proposed initial red-coloured hexagonal warning labels for products exceeding limits in at least two of three categories: added sugar, salt, or saturated fat. The plan included making the labels stricter in a second phase. However, during a Supreme Court hearing, judges questioned why a phased approach was being taken, with activists arguing it was too lenient.
The regulator responded by stating its openness to implementing stricter labels from the outset, which would include products high in just one of these specified nutrients. This move is a significant development in the country's over $100 billion packaged food and drink market, where companies like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and PepsiCo have historically opposed such labels, claiming they are confusing and ineffective. Health activists and the Supreme Court have been advocating for these labels, citing concerns over rising obesity rates. The FSSAI's filing on Friday indicated that the warning labels would specify 'HIGH FAT', 'HIGH SUGAR', 'HIGH SALT', and/or 'HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE' to help consumers make informed choices, particularly for children and vulnerable groups.