SC junks per-serve plea on food labels

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the packaged food industry to use per-serve measurements for determining high fat, salt and sugar content on front-of-pack labels (FOPL). Calling the proposal from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) "ambiguous," the court asked the regulator to justify the two-phase implementation plan, especially the requirement to place warnings on products with two nutrients of concern.

The court also demanded a clear timeline for stricter implementation of food warning labels, granting the authority 10 days to respond. The court expressed concerns over the lack of a fixed timeline for Phase II implementation, stating that its absence could lead to the phase being postponed indefinitely. The Supreme Court sought clarification from the FSSAI regarding the science, design, and rollout of food warning labels, emphasizing the importance of addressing the unintended consequences of this regulation.