Why junk warning on front of food packets has hit a roadblock in India
- Ajay Tomar
- TNNUpdated: Mar 26, 2026, 19:21 IST IST
Indian diets are a problem — that has long been the lament of obesity watchers and the health and fitness community. Now, makers of packaged snacks and food products are saying much the same thing — but in a very different context.
Their concern is over a proposed rule requiring manufacturers to place labels on the front of food packets declaring whether the contents are high in fat, salt or sugar. They argue that this is not a good fit for India, at least not in the format proposed, because Indian food habits differ sharply from those in countries where such labelling is already mandatory. The Supreme Court is seized of the matter, but little headway has been made on implementing the guidelines.
Their concern is over a proposed rule requiring manufacturers to place labels on the front of food packets declaring whether the contents are high in fat, salt or sugar. They argue that this is not a good fit for India, at least not in the format proposed, because Indian food habits differ sharply from those in countries where such labelling is already mandatory. The Supreme Court is seized of the matter, but little headway has been made on implementing the guidelines.
