India wanted red flags on chip packets, soda

Business Recorder, citing a Reuters investigation, reports that India's food-safety regulator has backed away from colour-coded warnings on the front of packaged foods. In August the regulator proposed a black-and-white table listing sugar, fat and salt content instead, arguing that warning symbols ignore the stronger flavours of Indian cooking. The Supreme Court is now scrutinising that choice after a petition from public health activists.

Recordings reviewed by Reuters show the regulator changed course following a heated March session with industry representatives, who described warning labels as confusing and ineffective. A Coca-Cola India executive told that meeting consumers would not be meaningfully informed by a symbol on a label, and added that doctors already teach patients what to avoid. Bottlers linked to Coca-Cola, however, have voluntarily placed traffic-light labels on drinks in roughly two dozen European markets, while Nestle has used similar labels in Britain since 2013.

Industry estimates cited in the report suggest that close to 80% of goods from India's packaged food and drink sector, valued above $100 billion, could be classed as high in fat, sugar or salt. IFBA, an industry body whose members include PepsiCo, says it wants more clarity from regulators. The FSSAI declined to comment, citing ongoing court proceedings on labelling policy.