India Proposes Red Warning Labels on Packaged Foods Amid Obesity Concerns

The Indian government has proposed warning labels on packaged foods following public outcry over a lack of strict labeling to highlight high sugar, fat, or salt in items. The move is a major setback for food companies in India's over $100 billion market where Coca-Cola and industry groups representing Nestle and PepsiCo have long opposed such labels.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has proposed a red-colored hexagonal shape for food products that are high in any two or more nutrients - saturated fat, sugar, or salt. The labeling will indicate the applicable declaration, such as 'HIGH FAT', 'HIGH SUGAR', 'HIGH SALT' and/or 'HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE'.

The Supreme Court had earlier told the government to act fast on implementing warning labels, citing problems like obesity. Around 450 million Indians could be obese or overweight by 2050, according to a recent study published in The Lancet.