READING LABELS, REWRITING THE RULES

How a motley band of independent watchdogs, online communities & influencers kindled a consumer awakening

- Shadma Shaikh

In April 2023, when Revant Himatsingka, 33, posted a video criticizing the high sugar content in Bournvita, pointing out that it made up a third of every serving (7.5 gm in every 20 gm), he expected the video to go viral.

What he did not expect was to receive a notice from the brand's legal team.

Himatsingka shared details of the legal notice publicly. This ended up amplifying the issue and led people from all walks of life to rally behind him. The video also drew regulatory attention and eventually led Bournvita parent Mondelez to announce that it would reduce the sugar content in the beverage by 14%.

In the weeks that followed, Mumbai-based Himatsingka, a former management consultant and author, released more videos dissecting misleading labels: sugar-loaded and fat-laden packaged food items that were being passed off as “healthy”. His scepticism of claims made on food labels had been born out of experiences in the US, where he had pursued a one-year course in nutrition. While there, Himatsingka noticed a gap between how packaged foods were marketed as opposed to the ingredients they actually contained.

The videos caused a huge uproar. They also earned him more legal notices from Nestle, Dabur, and others. Within months, however, the exposés had turned into a consumer movement. Parents forwarded them across WhatsApp groups and schools invited Himatsingka to address students. The movement took on a life of its own, sparking a label-awareness campaign called 'Label Padhega India' (India will read labels), a nationwide campaign that was endorsed by actors and entrepreneurs.