Supreme Court to hear India's packaged food label dispute Thursday
India's massive packaged food industry is pushing back against a new government proposal that would slap red warning labels on packaged foods that exceed limits in at least two of three categories, added sugar, salt, or saturated fat.
The idea is to help people make healthier choices, but big brands worry these labels could hurt India's image abroad.
The Supreme Court is set to hear both sides, including health activists, this Thursday.
AIFPA says 80% packaged foods flagged
The proposed rules mean products that exceed limits in at least two of three categories, added sugar, salt, or saturated fat, get a red hexagon label.
Industry groups like AIFPA (which includes Nestle and PepsiCo) say these limits are way stricter than what's common globally and could mark about 80% of packaged foods as high fat, sugar, or salt.
They also argue that using a standard 100-gram serving for all products doesn't match how people actually eat in India.