Indian Health Groups Take Food Warning Label Fight to Court

Health activists in India have taken their fight over food warning labels to the country's highest court. A nonprofit group called 3S And Our Health filed a complaint saying the government's new plan for red warning labels on packaged food is too weak. The group says the plan has a loophole that would let many unhealthy products avoid getting a warning label at all. This is the first formal legal objection to the proposal.

India's government proposed that a red hexagonal label would be required on a food product only if it is high in at least two out of three concerning nutrients. Those three nutrients are added sugar, salt, and saturated fat. Critics say this rule means a product that is dangerously high in just one nutrient — like sugar — would not need a warning label. Lawyer Rajiv Shankar Dvivedi wrote in the court filing: 'A product that is high in sugar alone remains a diabetes risk.'

The complaint will be heard by India's Supreme Court on September 10. The court is already looking at cases brought by activists, industry groups, and the government about food labeling. The filing says the proposal creates a loophole that would protect companies selling harmful products. The complaint is not public, but Reuters was able to read it.

The food and drink industry in India is worth more than $100 billion. Many companies have long opposed putting warning labels on their products, saying it could hurt sales. Some industry groups say that a large number of packaged products could end up with warning labels, which they say would reduce demand. Health activists, however, think the plan does not go far enough to protect people.

Scientists and health experts around the world say food warning labels can help improve public health. In Chile, a law passed in 2016 required separate black warning symbols on food packaging for each unhealthy nutrient. After that law went into effect, purchases of sugary drinks dropped by nearly 24 percent. Experts point to Chile as proof that strong warning labels can change what people choose to buy.

An Indian government official said the activists' concerns are not valid. The official explained that food labeling rules are always introduced in stages, and India plans to do the same. In the second phase of the plan, the government says it will add warning labels for each concerning nutrient separately. However, no dates have been set for when the second phase will begin.

India's obesity problem is growing quickly. In 2021, about 180 million Indian adults were overweight or obese. A study in the medical journal The Lancet predicted that number could rise to 450 million by 2050. Health experts say stronger food labels could help people make better choices and slow this trend.

The push for warning labels became a big public issue after Reuters reported that India had given in to pressure from food companies in March. Groups representing major companies like Coca-Cola, Nestle, and PepsiCo had lobbied against putting warning labels on the front of food and drink packaging. That report sparked widespread anger among health advocates in India.