Coca-Cola and Big Food Lobbyists Block Indian Health Warnings

The Indian packaged food market has been criticized for its high sugar, salt, and fat content. According to Reuters, a can of Fanta purchased in London contains 63 calories, but the same brand packs three times as much sugar and an artificial dye in India.

Food giants like Coca-Cola have resisted government efforts to introduce front-of-pack nutritional warnings. The regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), abandoned its push for colorful labels after a tense meeting with industry executives.

The FSSAI proposed instead that companies display a simple black-and-white table of fat, sugar, and salt content on the back. However, this decision has drawn fierce opposition from public health activists who advocate for interpretive labeling, such as color-coded systems highlighting high sugar in red.