India’s food regulator has proposed front-of-pack warning labels on packaged food and drinks, reversing its earlier position following growing public anger over the absence of strict labelling to flag high sugar, fat or salt content in food items.

The move marks a major setback for food companies operating in India’s over $100 billion packaged food market, where Coca-Cola and industry groups representing Nestlé and PepsiCo have long opposed such labels, arguing they could confuse consumers. Health activists and the Supreme Court have repeatedly called for such labelling, citing links to rising obesity rates.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a red-coloured hexagonal symbol for food products that are high in any two or more of three nutrients — saturated fat, sugar or salt — according to a Supreme Court filing reviewed by Reuters.

A Reversal After Years of Delay

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had for years attempted to implement some form of warning labelling, but dropped a related proposal earlier this year after companies reportedly opposed the measures privately. Following that development, consumers and health experts voiced strong criticism on social media, pointing out that companies including Coca-Cola and Nestlé already use similar warning labels voluntarily in several European markets.

According to the FSSAI filing, “The warning label shall indicate the applicable declaration, such as ‘HIGH FAT’, ‘HIGH SUGAR’, ‘HIGH SALT’ and/or ‘HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE’… to enable consumers to readily identify products high in the specified nutrients.”

The regulator added that the mechanism is intended to “facilitate informed food choices, particularly in relation to children and other vulnerable groups of the population.”

Filed Amid an Ongoing Supreme Court Case

The submission was made as part of an ongoing Supreme Court case, where health activists have long pushed for delayed warning labels, and the court had earlier this month directed the government to act swiftly on the matter.

Currently, food producers in India are only required to list ingredients and basic nutritional information on the back of packaging — with no mandatory front-facing warning symbols.

“We are considering the government proposal and our experts are going to review it,” said Rajiv Shankar Dwivedi, lead counsel for the non-profit 3S And Our Health, which had challenged the government in the Supreme Court over the lack of warning labels.