Supreme Court Pulls Up FSSAI Over Warning Labels On Packaged Food, Questions Industry Pressure

The Supreme Court expressed strong criticism towards the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for its reluctance in implementing front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods with high sugar, salt, and saturated fat content. The Court's Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran questioned whether the regulator was yielding to pressures from the food manufacturing industry.

The Court ordered the regulator to reconsider its proposal and provide a final decision within two weeks, threatening further intervention if the FSSAI fails to act. The Court emphasized the importance of the issue, particularly for children's health, and questioned why authorities were not abiding by their earlier order. The Court highlighted the difference between healthier, more expensive food choices and easily accessible, packaged snacks popular among children.

The FSSAI proposed displaying recommended daily consumption limits in a pictorial format instead of using warning labels, but the Court disagreed, emphasizing that consumers should be able to quickly understand the health implications at a glance. The petitioner argued the numerical approach was not sufficient, as consumers would need to interpret the figures, which could be problematic for those with limited literacy.

The FSSAI countered that Indian dietary patterns differ from those in Western countries, and implementing international standards could negatively impact traditional food items.