India Court Orders 10-Day Timeline for Food Warning Labels — SkimNews
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- India's Supreme Court ordered the federal government to provide a clear pathway for implementing food warning labels on packaged products within 10 days, following complaints from a health non-profit.
- The court warned that Phase II of the proposed labelling programme "might take a backseat or be indefinitely postponed" without a specific timeline, and rejected "consumer acceptability" and "adequate time for reformulation" as adequate reasons for delay.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) last month proposed a two-phased plan: Phase 1 would require red-coloured hexagonal warning labels on products exceeding limits in at least two of three categories — added sugar, salt, or saturated fat — with stricter rules to follow in Phase 2.
- A government source said FSSAI is willing to implement both phases in one go after reviewing the court's order.
- Coca-Cola and groups backing Nestle and PepsiCo lobbied India's government to adopt a weaker labelling regime, arguing warning labels were ineffective — even though many of these companies have voluntarily implemented such measures in European markets.
- India's food and drinks industry continues to oppose the labels, calling them "confusing and ineffective," as regulators have simultaneously raided eateries nationwide amid a broader food safety crackdown.
Why it matters: The court's 10-day ultimatum directly confronts government foot-dragging on a public health measure softened by lobbying from Coca-Cola, Nestle, and PepsiCo — companies that already use front-of-package warnings voluntarily in European markets. If FSSAI implements both phases simultaneously, as a government source suggested it is willing to do, Indian consumers would receive the stricter labelling regime that industry pressure had sidelined.
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