Now Reading: Madras HC dismisses FSSAI review, upholds microplastics label order
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Madras HC dismisses FSSAI review, upholds microplastics label order
The Madras High Court on 1 October dismissed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's review petition against its 6 February 2026 order that bottled water, sugar and salt sold in plastic packaging must carry a label stating the product 'may contain Micro/Nano Plastics'. The Court also dismissed recall petitions by a PET packaging association and a packaged drinking water manufacturers' federation.
A Bench of Justice N. Sathish Kumar and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy held that the labelling direction is neither premature nor disproportionate, noting that the Food Safety and Standards Act requires disclosure of potential risk, not proof of actual harm. The Court observed that FSSAI and the petitioners admitted the presence of micro and nano plastics in these products, making disclosure mandatory.
The Court rejected arguments about commercial backlash and said the order is only the 'barest essential minimum'. It noted that FSSAI's own analysis confirmed microplastics in bottled water from several states and higher levels in sugar and salt packed in plastic. The label must be in bold red letters of at least font size 10.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The dismissal leaves FSSAI with no legal avenue at the high court level to block the labelling requirement, which now stands as binding direction. The ruling shifts the burden from proving harm to disclosing known presence, a lower threshold that could affect other packaged foods tested for microplastics. FSSAI had withdrawn its Supreme Court petition unconditionally in May 2026, and the Court noted the review was not maintainable on that ground. The continuing mandamus means the court retains oversight as further studies on tolerance levels are conducted. Manufacturers must comply with the four-week deadline set in February 2026.
Source: verdictum.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
