People's choice: Red code on ultra-processed food

A majority of consumers favour colour code warnings on ultra-processed food (UDFs) items, according to a survey conducted by an independent agency.

- KAVITA BAJELI-DATT

The survey by Local Circle, India's leading community social media platform, claimed that seven out of ten consumers prefer red, green or orange labels on packaged food for a safe choice.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the Health Ministry, is considering a star rating system for identifying ultra-processed food. But the survey showed that consumers prefer colour codes instead of the star rating based on the food product's sugar, salt, and fat content.

An overwhelming 86 per cent of consumers surveyed preferred e-commerce sites and grocery apps to identify processed food with red colour.