New Delhi: India’s food regulator has indicated support for stronger warning labels on packaged foods as the Supreme Court considers stricter labelling requirements.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) last month proposed a two-phase labelling programme after years of delays. The first phase would introduce red-coloured hexagonal warning labels on products that exceed limits in at least 2 of 3 categories. These are added sugar, salt and saturated fat.
FSSAI noted that stricter requirements would follow in a second phase. The proposal faced criticism from health experts and activists who have argued that the two-nutrient approach could allow many products to avoid warning labels.
The Supreme Court was hearing petitions from activists seeking stronger labelling requirements for packaged foods. Health groups raised concerns that the proposed system does not adequately address the risks linked to products containing high levels of individual nutrients.
During the September 10 hearing, Supreme Court Justice J.B. Pardiwala questioned the reasoning behind the two-phase approach. Justice Pardiwala raised the issue while questioning a government lawyer about why the regulator was proposing to introduce the stricter system at a later stage.
The discussion indicated that a product containing a high level of just one of the 3 nutrients could also receive a red hexagonal warning under a tougher approach. That would cover foods high in added sugar, salt or saturated fat even when the product does not exceed limits for 2 categories.
The proposed changes could have significant implications for India’s packaged food sector. The country’s food industry is valued at about $100 billion, making the labelling debate an important issue for manufacturers as well as public health advocates.
The government’s position before the Supreme Court leaves scope for changes to the proposed framework as the case continues. The debate centres on how clearly packaged foods should communicate nutritional risks to consumers while setting rules for a major industry.
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