A comparative study of food labels in the United States and India: Adherence to Codex Alimentarius guidelines

This study presented a comparative analysis of the adherence to Codex Alimentarius guidelines by packaged food industries in the United States (US) and India. Nutrition labels are crucial for consumer awareness of the healthiness of these products. Acknowledging the pivotal role of packaged food labeling in enabling informed consumer choices, this research systematically scrutinized a subset of packaged food products from each country. Based on the tenets of the Codex guidelines, the primary goal of this study was to discern notable similarities and divergences in packaged food labeling practices between the two countries. We hypothesized that the US would have greater adherence to food label guidelines in comparison to India. We collected packaged food labels from the US and Indian markets and compared and tabulated the data from seven major categories of packaged foods. Notably, the investigation revealed a higher degree of compliance within the US packaged food industry with Codex Alimentarius guidelines compared to the Indian packaged food sector. This study's implications extend to raising awareness among the populace and the packaging industry about the pivotal significance of nutritional labeling on packaged food items available in the market.