Now Reading: Supreme Court raps FSSAI, sets two-week deadline on warning labels
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Supreme Court raps FSSAI, sets two-week deadline on warning labels
The Supreme Court on Thursday sharply questioned the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over its delay in implementing mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods high in salt, sugar,…
The Story in Brief
The Supreme Court on Thursday sharply questioned the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over its delay in implementing mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods high in salt, sugar, or saturated fat. A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran asked whether corporate pressures were stopping the regulator and gave the Centre two weeks to decide if the court must step in. The court rejected arguments that Indian foods differ from bland Western diets and that labels would hurt small businesses. FSSAI had proposed a nutrition table instead of interpretive labels, but the court insisted public health, especially of children, cannot wait.
Non-communicable diseases cause over 6 million deaths in India annually, and the plea cited diabetes affecting nearly one in four Indians. The regulator had earlier approved new labelling guidelines in 2024 but faced criticism for slow implementation.
The Indian Opinion
The court accuses FSSAI of caving to corporate pressure, while FSSAI warns that red labels will brand everything from namkeen to eggs as harmful. Both narratives exaggerate. Labels are not bans; they inform choice. The real test is whether the government can design thresholds that protect health without unfairly targeting small producers or traditional foods. Two weeks will show if the Centre backs public health or industry comfort.
Sources (2): retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com, rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
