Sugar, Lies, And Labels: How Big Food Fights Health Warnings To Protect Indian Profits
A single can of Fanta purchased in London contains 63 calories. Buy that very same brand in India, and it packs three times as much sugar alongside an artificial dye whose presence in European food products mandates a prominent health warning. In India, however, the colorant’s presence is relegated to tiny print on the back of the can, reports Reuters.
That disparity suits some of the world’s largest food and beverage corporations, which have spent years resisting Indian government efforts to introduce front-of-pack nutritional warnings.
Consumer giants like Coca-Cola appear to hold the upper hand. India’s food-safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), abandoned its push for colorful front-of-pack warnings. The regulator, according to Reuters, claimed such labels fail to account for how Indian cuisine features more intense flavors than Western food, proposing instead that companies display a simple black-and-white table of fat, sugar, and salt content on the back.
The decision has drawn fierce opposition. India’s Supreme Court is now scrutinising the move following a petition by public health activists. At stake is the health of an estimated 450 million Indians who could be obese or overweight by 2050, according to a recent study published in the Lancet. Health experts advocate for interpretive labeling—such as color-coded systems highlighting high sugar in red—which has been adopted by roughly 20 nations to encourage healthier diet choices.
The FSSAI buckled after a tense meeting with industry executives who argued that front-of-pack warning labels were confusing and ineffective, according to audio recordings reviewed by Reuters.
It is “very simplistic” to believe a consumer “will be so informed by seeing a symbol or an icon on the label” that their diet improves, senior Coca-Cola India executive Mili Bhattacharya argued during the session, suggesting regulators focus instead on portion control. She added that warning labels were unnecessary because local doctors had done a sufficient job teaching patients what foods to avoid.
Yet, Coca-Cola and its bottling partners voluntarily use traffic-light-style labels across two dozen European markets, citing on their corporate websites that such labels offer “clear and transparent” information. Similarly, Nestle has opposed front-of-pack warning mandates in India despite voluntarily utilising interpretive labelling in Britain since 2013.
The threat to corporate profits remains the primary driver. Nearly 80% of products in India’s $100 billion packaged food market could be classified as high in fat, sugar, or salt, meaning store shelves would be flooded with red warning symbols under a color-coded scheme, according to Reuters. Simone Pettigrew, head of food policy at the George Institute for Global Health, noted that aggressive corporate lobbying has “almost paralysed” regulators, incentivizing companies to delay transparency as long as possible.
Multinationals frequently adapt formulations for local markets, but Indian consumers increasingly view these variations as double standards. Indian KitKats contain just 4.5% cocoa solids compared to at least 22% in Australian versions. Maggi instant noodles sold in India rely on palm oil, whereas British versions use sunflower oil—and carry red front-of-pack warnings for high salt content even when manufactured in India.
Grassroots backlash is growing in India. Content creators like Revant Himatsingka, known online as “Food Pharmer,” have amassed millions of followers exposing ingredient discrepancies, despite facing legal retaliation from food giants.
Supreme Court judges recently admonished the regulator’s reluctance to impose strict packaging standards, emphasizing that “the world should know that India is very much concerned about the overall health of its citizens.” As the legal battle unfolds, public demand for transparency may finally force global brands to offer Indian consumers the same clarity they afford the West.
