Context

• The signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, commonly known as the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), on July 24, 2025, marks a significant milestone in the bilateral relationship between India and the United Kingdom.
• While the deal is lauded for its economic potential, it has prompted serious public health concerns in India, particularly regarding the surge of High Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS) food
• Therefore, it is important to analyse the multifaceted impacts of the FTA, drawing comparisons from international experiences and highlighting the urgent policy interventions needed to safeguard public health.

Economic Prospects of the India-UK FTA

• Trade agreements such as the India-UK FTA stimulate economic growth by:
  • Eliminating tariffs, thereby lowering consumer prices.
  • Encouraging cross-border investment and generating employment.
  • Deepening trade ties and diversifying import-export portfolios.
• For India, cheaper imports of U.K.-made products, expanded market access for goods and services, and closer strategic cooperation are anticipated benefits.

Public Health Challenges: Lessons from Mexico

• The optimism surrounding FTAs is not without caveat.
• The case of Mexico post-NAFTA (1992) serves as a cautionary tale.
• The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed between Mexico, the United States and Canada, Mexico made the mistake of not implementing robust public health safeguards.
• Lax regulation and lack of public health safeguards resulted in:
  • A dramatic rise in the import and consumption of sugary drinks and processed foods.
  • Escalating rates of obesity, diabetes, and related chronic illnesses.
  • The need for reactive policies, such as the imposition of a Soda Tax and the adoption of mandatory warning labels in 2014, well after the negative health impact had materialized.
• This experience underscores the risks for India, where regulatory frameworks are even less robust.

Regulatory Gaps in India vs. the UK

• The UK Approach
  • HFSS Advertising Ban: The UK enforces strict bans on advertising HFSS foods to children on television before 9 p.m. and will introduce a total ban on online paid advertisements for such products from October 1, 2025.
  • Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL):A color-coded traffic light system helps consumers identify levels of fat, sugar, and salt immediately, empowering healthier choices.
• The Indian Scenario
  • Weak Advertisement Controls
  • India lacks binding restrictions on junk food advertising, particularly towards children.
  • Self-regulation by industry bodies like the Advertising Standards Council of India is unreliable and often ineffective.
• Misleading Marketing: Celebrity endorsements and cartoon mascots influence children and normalise unhealthy behaviours, with minimal accountability.
• FOPNL Issues
  • India’s move toward mandatory nutrition labelling remains stalled.
  • While warning labels are globally recognised as effective, Indian authorities have delayed implementation, focusing instead on a potentially ambiguous star rating system influenced by industry lobbying.

Rising Tide of Lifestyle Diseases and Commercial Determinants of Health

• Rising Tide of Lifestyle Diseases
  • From 2011-21, the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of Ultra Processed Food (UPF) and HFSS food sales in India was 13.3%.
  • As a result, non-communicable diseases such as obesity and diabetes are on the rise, especially among children and adolescents.
  • The lack of robust food labelling and advertising controls exacerbates these trends.
• Commercial Determinants of Health
  • Trade deals, while crucial to economic ambitions, also serve as commercial determinants of health, that is, practices and policies by commercial actors that influence public health at a large scale.
  • Without sufficient restrictions and awareness, FTAs risk becoming Trojan horses for the spread of diet-related diseases.

Path Forward: Opportunities for Policy Action

• Implement Strong Advertising Regulations: Enforce comprehensive, binding controls on the marketing of HFSS foods, especially toward children, as recommended by recent government surveys and dietary guidelines.
• Adopt Mandatory Warning Labels: Prioritise clear, effective warning labels on HFSS and UPF products, in line with international best practices, rather than the less effective “star rating” system.
• Promote Healthy School Environments: Institutionalise bans on the sale of unhealthy food and beverages in school and college canteens, and introduce holistic HFSS Boards in schools as part of a health-promoting educational framework.
• Engage Health Policymakers: Encourage active involvement of public health practitioners in trade negotiations to ensure health considerations are not subsumed by economic interests.

Conclusion

• Striking a balance between economic gains and public health imperatives is vital as India forges ahead with present and future FTAs.
• Immediate implementation of effective labelling, marketing restrictions, and public health safeguards can avert a health crisis like that experienced in Mexico.
• This is a pivotal moment for India to take decisive action, ensuring that the promise of economic prosperity does not come at the cost of its citizens' health.