As India seeks European-style health labels on food and soda, lobbies fight back
Roughly 20 nations have adopted interpretive labels, which may include highlighting high sugar levels in red and low fat content in green, on packaged foods.
In a bid to align with European standards, India is seeking to implement health labels on food and beverages similar to those found in the UK. However, the request has faced opposition from major consumer companies such as Coca-Cola, which manufactures the popular Fanta brand. The company's products in India contain significantly more sugar and artificial dyes than their European counterparts, but these ingredients are not highlighted prominently on the packaging.
Instead, the health warnings for artificial colors are minute and located on the back of the can. India's food safety regulator recently decided against the previous plan to display colorful health warnings on the front of food packages, citing the need for a more balanced approach that reflects the intensity of Indian cuisine.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
