Now Reading: Supreme Court warns Centre on food labelling, cites child health
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Supreme Court warns Centre on food labelling, cites child health
The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the Centre an ultimatum to finalise regulations on front-of-package nutritional labelling, warning it would step in if the government fails to act. 'If you can't, we…
The Story in Brief
The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the Centre an ultimatum to finalise regulations on front-of-package nutritional labelling, warning it would step in if the government fails to act. 'If you can't, we will,' the court told the solicitor general, adding that the matter concerns the health of citizens, particularly children, and decisions should not be influenced by corporate pressure. NDTV reports the court expressed concern over delays in issuing mandatory norms for warning symbols on packaged foods high in salt, fat, or sugar.
The court has set a deadline for the government to clarify its position. It noted that voluntary measures have been insufficient, and the lack of clear labelling misleads consumers. The case, filed by advocacy group Aashray, seeks to compel the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to implement a front-of-pack labelling system similar to models used in countries like Chile and Mexico.
The Indian Opinion
The usual pushback that 'science is still evolving' or 'industry needs more time' has worn thin. Every year of delay means another year of young Indians consuming dangerously high levels of hidden sugar and salt. The real test is whether the FSSAI will now publish draft rules within the court's timeline without corporate watering down. If the final label is a tiny, vague star rating instead of a clear red warning, we will know whose side the regulator took.
Source: ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
