Big Food fought back as India dropped plans for colorful health warnings on chip packets and soda

India's push for prominent health warnings on packaged foods has stalled, with the food safety regulator abandoning plans for colorful labels. Instead, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India proposed companies display a black-and-white table detailing sugar, fat, and salt content. This decision faces scrutiny from India's Supreme Court following a petition by public health activists concerned about the rising rates of obesity, which could affect 450 million Indians by 2050.

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It is “very simplistic” to believe that a consumer who doesn’t already read ingredient lists “will be so informed by seeing a symbol or an icon on the label” that their diet significantly improves.

Consumer giants, including Coca-Cola, which produces Fanta, had actively resisted the proposed front-of-package warnings. Recordings reviewed by Reuters reveal that industry executives argued in a March meeting that such labels were confusing and ineffective. They suggested regulators focus on portion control instead. A senior Coca-Cola India executive stated it was "very simplistic" to believe consumers would significantly improve their diets just by seeing a symbol on a label, adding that warning labels wouldn't prevent people from consuming sugary and salty foods.

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warning labels were pointless because they would not prevent consumers from otherwise having sugary and salty foods. And they were unnecessary because Indian doctors had done a good job teaching their patients what food should be avoided.

Despite resisting mandatory warnings in India, Coca-Cola and its partners voluntarily use traffic-light-style labels in about two dozen European markets. Nestle, also a member of Indian industry groups that opposed the regulator's proposals, has used interpretive labels in Britain since 2013. Public health experts advocate for interpretive labels, noting that around 20 nations have adopted them to highlight high sugar or fat content, aiming to foster healthier eating habits.

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clear and transparent