New Delhi: The food industry in India has urged the Supreme Court to reconsider the colour red that was proposed for the ‘front of pack’ warning labels. It reportedly can be confused with the symbol for non-vegetarian foods.
The All India Food Processors Association (AINPA), representing dozens of Indian and foreign food giants, has stated this in a court filing dated September 24th where it has pointed out that the colour and symbol for warnings must be carefully considered in the Indian context. Indian consumers are accustomed to associating red with the mandatory non-vegetarian logo and another major red logo can cause confusion, the group said.
The food regulator has suggested a ‘red hexagon’ warning, which would identify whether a packaged food product contains high levels of salt, sugar or fat. These labels would be: “HIGH SUGAR,” “HIGH SALT” or “HIGH FAT.”
The association did not say it was against the labels, but stated that it was against the misuse of them. It said the thresholds should be based on scientific considerations and expressed its opposition to the way the current limits will be applied on a blanket basis. This would yield a red warning if added sugar is above 3 per cent of solid product by weight or above 4.2 per cent fat, when compared with many overseas markets. Comparing nutrient content on a per 100 gram basis may also not provide an accurate comparison of nutrient content serving to individuals who eat these products in small amounts, such as pickles, spreads and condiments, the group said.
This is a big deal for the business. From the global giants, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Mondelez and Nestle are amongst outstanding growth markets in India while thousands of small businesses are selling traditional savoury and sweet confectioneries.
There has been great impatience from the court to delay. Justice J. B. Pardiwala wondered why the government was involving itself in a new round of consultations when what was it that it had done in the previous four years? The regulator has stated that there will be notification and public consultation for four months and it will take another year to implement. The court said it’d soon issue a final order.
The demand for an exception to the food rules follows a tightening of the rules more generally in India. The government is also advising to remove the sale of junk food in schools and within 50 metres of them, according to the steps being taken in Chile and Mexico. There has been concerns about obesity, especially in children. The labelling plan comes after a heated public discussion on the absence of labelling, and a national crackdown on food safety, to include widespread raids on food establishments.
