AUTHOR BIO: Rhydham Singh is a political science graduate from Hindu College, University of Delhi

Introduction

The food a corporation sells should be defined by safety and nutrition, not by the geography of its consumers. If a person walks into a supermarket in London and buys a packet of Lay's Classic Chips, then he is buying a snack fried in sunflower oil, which is good for their heart's health. Whereas, the same snack if bought in India is seen to be made by frying in palm oil. Palmolein is a cheaper alternative and has a high saturated fat content. This is bad cholesterol that causes heart attacks.

This practice is not for flavour preferences; rather, it indicates ingredient colonialism. In essence, 'Ingredient Colonialism' denotes a biased corporate approach where multinational corporations take advantage of the less stringent regulations of developing countries to market inferior, less nutritious, or more dangerous product formulations compared to those offered in Western markets. Although the packaging, branding, and marketing stay consistent globally, the ingredients differ by region. Affluent Western consumers are offered premium, health-focused ingredients, whereas consumers in developing markets such as India are given versions filled with less expensive alternatives, higher sugar levels, or lower-quality additives. Essentially prioritising corporate profit margins over the health of citizens in these nations.

An article sold in India may look identical from the outside, but the list of ingredients may differ. In many cases they differ in terms of type of oil used, sugar levels, sodium levels, added flavours, dairy solids or fat sources. Brands often do this to maintain a globally clean and premium image while making maximum profits in large markets like India, China and other poorer countries. These profits are met at the cost of Indian consumers' health. These types of changes have been seen in everyday consumer goods, such as Nestlé Cerelacs, Johnson & Johnson baby powder, Coca-Cola soft drinks, etc.

In this article, I discuss how the government has been making policies to tackle this type of colonialism. It includes the recent Supreme Court mandate in February of 2026, new FSSAI regulatory frameworks as well as various other legislations.

Comparative Analysis: Mapping the Empirical Double Standards

To understand the structural aspects of ingredient colonialism, it is crucial to analyze how these corporate double standards appear in practice. As shown in the comparative analysis below, these cheap substitutes are endangering the lives of the Indian consumers and converting them into second-grade consumers. As of March 2026, this is not only a health concern but also a legal challenge for the Indian lawmakers.

Product	Indian additives (standards)	US/UK/European Union standards	Health implications/ shortcomings in India	Source
Nestlé Cerelac	2.7gm-3gm added sugar per serving	0% added sugar per serving	Childhood obesity and Type-2 diabetes	Link
Lay's Classic Chips	Palm oil (high saturated fats)	Sunflower/canola oil (high unsaturated fats)	Increases LDL Cholesterol that causes cardiovascular diseases	Link
Heinz Ketchup	High sugar content, preservatives and no real tomato extract.	High in natural tomato extracts. 148gm extract in 100gm ketchup. Strict sugar levels.	Lower nutrition levels. High sugar causes obesity.	Ingredients reference-	India-[1]	UK-[2]
Fruit Juices	Often labelled ‘100% pure’ or ‘natural’ even when reconstituted (water+pulp). (Pre-2026 SC mandate)	Strict labelling as ‘from real pulp concentrate’ or ‘not real pulp concentrate’. Thus maintaining transparency with the consumers.	Loss of natural fiber and micronutrients. Deceptive marketing.	Link
Coca Cola	Uses cane sugar as primary sweetener.	Uses High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) in the US and lower sugar in the UK.	Significant contributor to Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.	Ingredients reference-	India-[1]	USA-[2]

Ingredient comparisons in case of Heinz Ketchup and Coca Cola for international variants were cross-verified via real-time digital inventory listings on Amazon website(India),Coca Cola website (India and USA), and official Heinz website(UK) as of 1st May, 2026.

Why is this problem happening in India?

The products produced for export to Western countries often face strict standards and regulation. Due to this, they are of very high quality, unlike the products for the Indian consumers that prioritise quantity over quality. Global brands often follow the practice of ingredient discrepancy. This practice involves the intentional alteration of a product’s chemical, nutritional, or material makeup by a manufacturer in various geographic locations, while still preserving the same brand image and consumer expectations.

This is being done due to the following reasons:

Price Sensitivity – India is a low-average per-capita income country with an income of $2700 for 2024-25, as per the World Bank. Although the World Bank classifies India as a lower-middle-income nation according to gross national income per capita, international brands frequently exploit this purchasing power statistic to rationalize their cost-reduction approaches. Rather than taking on the increased production expenses of high-quality, health-conscious components, corporations use these local economic standards as a justification. This is a major reason, which compels Indian consumers to prioritise lower prices over premium quality. Ultimately forcing the brands to reduce production costs.
Cheaper ingredient substitutes – In order to reduce these production costs, brands use cheaper alternatives in India. Such as palm oil instead of high-quality oils. They consistently reduce product quality, replace high-end materials with less expensive options, and modify formulations while claiming to make products 'affordable' for emerging consumer markets. Thus, converting a macroeconomic measure into a justification for corporate hypocrisy.
Regulatory differences – Indian regulatory bodies like the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) are often found to be less strict compared to similar bodies abroad. This regulatory flexibility is inherently integrated into FSSAI's structure. In contrast to Western organizations such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which require rigorous pre-market approvals, FSSAI places significant emphasis on post-market monitoring. Additionally, as emphasized by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its Performance Audit Report (Report No. 37 of 2017), the national framework experiences a notable transparency shortfall, which includes significant deficiencies in laboratory infrastructure and enforcement inconsistencies at the state level. These data deficiencies and extended transition phases for newer labeling regulations provide global brands with the operational adaptability to sustain dual-standard products while staying technically compliant. Thus, these global brands have technically received a free pass to maximise profits in India.
Some brands often justify this practice as a method to meet local taste preferences. But it is just a facade for cost-cutting.

This situation is prevalent in India, as several high-profile cases are still ongoing in the apex court. Although these brands gave various justifications, there have been various regulatory actions and public outcry for 'one brand, one quality'.

The legal argument

The below-mentioned cases indicate how ingredient discrepancies have been so common in India and can be seen in major brands which are trusted by Indian consumers.

Nestlé Cerelac

Public Eye and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) conducted an investigation into Nestlé's leading baby food brands. This investigation shows that, for Nestlé, not all babies are equal when it comes to added sugar. In Switzerland, Germany, France and the UK, the infant cereals as well as the formulas had no added sugar. These countries are the main European markets of Nestle and have strict regulations.

Whereas the same products when sold in lower-income countries like India, Bangladesh, South Africa, Pakistan, etc. contained high levels of added sugar. For example, 3 gm added sugar is found per serving in Nestlé Cerelac in India. NDTV reported that a recent study conducted by researchers forming the Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) has warned that obesity is on the rise, especially in low and middle-income countries. This further fuels an increase in non-communicable diseases like diabetes.