NEW DELHI: In a major push for consumer health and safety, the Supreme Court on Friday granted the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the central government a strict 10-day deadline to chart out a definitive path and timeline regarding front-of-pack labelling (FoPL) for packaged foods.
A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran heard the plea filed by the public charitable trust and NGO '3S And Our Health Society', which has been advocating for mandatory, uniformly enforceable front-of-pack warnings on packaged food products to highlight high levels of sugar, fat, and salt.
Expressing deep concern over the existing proposals, the bench strongly flagged that text-heavy warning labels presuppose a high level of comprehension, reading capability, and literacy across diverse states, regions, vernaculars, and age groups.
"Ideally, an all-inclusive FoPL, which effectively caters to the diverse population of this country, should incorporate a combination of words, along with pictorial representations of the nutrients-of-concern. This would ensure that the information provided in the FoPL is truly accessible," the apex court noted in its order.
The court further questioned the FSSAI's phased implementation approach, pointing out that uncertainty in timeframes cannot be justified merely by citing consumer acceptability or granting industries time for product reformulation. It demanded a clearly defined, scientifically backed transition period dividing the proposed phases.
Additionally, the bench drew attention to the acute risks children face regarding unhealthy dietary behaviors and impulse purchases. It directed the Union government to explain how schools and academic curriculums plan to incorporate nutritional literacy, interpreting food labels, and understanding front-of-pack warnings.
The top court also cautioned regulatory authorities to monitor the potential shift toward alternative chemical additives replacing sugar, fat, or salt as manufacturers adjust to threshold limits, urging FSSAI to issue corresponding regulations to safeguard public health.
The apex court has ordered FSSAI to file a detailed affidavit addressing all queries, font sizes, pictorial designs, threshold levels for sweetened beverages, and implementation timelines within the next 10 days.
