India wanted red flags on chip packets and soda. Big Food fought back

A Fanta can sold in London contains 63 calories, but the same brand in India has three times as much sugar. The artificial dye used is only listed in small print on the back of the can in India. Big food companies like Coca-Cola and Nestle have resisted Indian efforts to require nutritional warnings on the front of packaged products.

India's food-safety regulator recently abandoned a plan for colorful front-of-package warnings, stating they don't account for the intense flavors in Indian cuisine. The Supreme Court is now reviewing this decision following a petition by public health activists concerned about India's obesity rates, which could reach 45% of the population by 2050.

Experts believe transparency in labeling can help promote healthier eating habits. Around 20 countries have adopted interpretive labels with red alerts for high sugar and green for low fat. However, Indian regulators backed off from this approach after tense negotiations with industry executives who argued the labels were confusing and ineffective.

Coca-Cola and Nestle have voluntarily put traffic-light-style labels on their drinks in some European markets, but have not adopted similar measures in India. Lobbying by food companies has apparently delayed tougher labeling standards, making the industry "very simplistic" in believing warning labels would significantly change consumer behavior.