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Food giants in India urge Supreme Court to reconsider red colour for warning labels
It can confuse consumers who associate the colour with non-vegetarian ingredient markings, food companies in the South Asian country have told the Supreme Court
- PUBLISHED: Mon 28 Sept 2026, 9:58 AM
India should reconsider the red colour of its proposed food warning labels as it can confuse consumers who associate the colour with non-vegetarian ingredient markings, food companies in India have told the Supreme Court.
India is in the midst of an unprecedented food safety crackdown, including nationwide raids against eateries, amid concern over poor hygiene and standards. The government's plan for front-of-pack red warning labels came after heated public debate on the lack of such measures.
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The food regulator has proposed a red hexagon warning label system to mark high salt, sugar or fat in packaged items, despite the industry's multi-year campaign to oppose the labels.
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In a court filing dated September 24, All India Food Processors Association, which represents dozens of Indian and foreign food giants, said the colour and symbol used for the warnings "require careful consideration in the Indian context".
"The average Indian consumer is habituated to associating the colour red with the mandatory non-vegetarian identification mark," the industry group said in the filing, which was reviewed by Reuters.
The group said it had told the food regulator that "introducing another prominent red warning symbol may create confusion among consumers," the filing said.
The lobby group added it was not against front-of-pack warning labels, but the thresholds must be decided in a scientific manner. It said it objected to the "indiscriminate application of the thresholds presently proposed".
The Supreme Court is set to review the government's proposal on Monday.
India is proposing a red warning if added sugar is in excess of 3 per cent of solid products by weight, and fat in excess of 4.2 per cent — stricter than many foreign markets.