Supreme Court gives FSSAI final deadline to decide on front of pack food warning labels

The Supreme Court of India has given the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) two weeks to place its final decision on record regarding the introduction of Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPWL) for packaged foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats. A bench consisting of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran warned the government that it would issue its own directions if a decision is not reached, stating that this is the government's last chance. The hearing follows a plea by non profit organizations 3S and Our Health Society. During the proceedings, the court questioned whether the regulator was succumbing to pressure from food manufacturers and expressed concern over the health of children. Additional Solicitor General Brijender Chahar argued that such labels could unfairly mark traditional Indian foods and products from micro, small, and medium enterprises as unhealthy. He suggested that India should not blindly imitate international formats because Indian foods differ in character from those in developed countries. The court rejected this argument, asserting that the goal is public awareness rather than banning specific products. The FSSAI had previously proposed a star rating system known as Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) to indicate overall nutritional value instead of specific warnings.