Nestle Backs India's Push for Stricter Food Labelling

Nestle executives expressed support for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) crackdown on misleading food labels and health claims during a media roundtable in New Delhi. Philipp Navratil, Global CEO of Nestle, advocated for proactive transparency, noting that the company already declares all ingredients and calories in India despite a lack of regulatory mandates.

Nestle representatives, including Philipp Navratil and Laurent Navratil, urged that any new front-of-pack labelling regulations be based on scientific data and measured by serving portions rather than grammage to better reflect actual consumption patterns. This support comes as the FSSAI has issued over 150 notices to food and beverage companies regarding unverifiable health claims and the misleading use of terms such as "natural" and "100%."

The company's stance follows criticism from the Supreme Court of India regarding delays by the central government and the FSSAI in enforcing mandatory labelling. While Nestle India voluntarily declares Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) for fat, sugar, and sodium on brands like Maggi and KitKat, the broader industry remains under increased scrutiny.

In a separate meeting, Laurent Navratil and Nestle India Managing Director Manish Tiwary met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the company's commitment to the Indian market. They highlighted an investment of approximately Rs 2,830 crore in capacity expansion over the last two financial years, noting that India was the company's highest-performing market in the first half of 2026.