The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to seriously consider front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods, citing concerns over excessive sugar, saturated fats and sodium content.
The apex court said that while companies may resist such measures, the regulator must place public health above commercial considerations.
The observations come amid closer regulatory scrutiny of food labelling practices. FSSAI has been attempting to flag misleading or inadequately substantiated health and nutrition claims across packaged food categories, issuing advisories and stepping up checks on edible oils, honey, beverages, nutraceuticals and ready-to-eat foods.
A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan said a prima facie case had been made that such disclosures could serve public health interests.
Noting that resistance from food companies cannot outweigh the regulator’s obligation to protect consumer health, the court cautioned that if FSSAI fails to act, judicial intervention could follow. It asked the regulator to file its response within four weeks.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking mandatory front-facing warnings. The PIL had alleged that existing back-of-pack nutrition panels were insufficient for consumers to make informed choices, particularly amid rising consumption of packaged food.
These labels aim to indicate the levels of sugar, salt and saturated fats in food products, helping consumers make healthier dietary choices.
The petition had contended that nutrition information displayed on the back of packages is inadequate for informed consumer decision-making. Absence of such labels could mislead consumers about the health value of food, exacerbating public health issues such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, it added.
Even the Bombay High Court is seized of another PIL that wants cancer warning labels to be printed on alcohol bottles, similar to cigarettes. The petition has said countries such as Ireland and South Korea have warnings linking alcohol consumption to cancer.
As reported earlier by ET, FSSAI was also in talks with liquor companies to implement new and more prominent warning labels on liquor bottles.
Existing World Health Organization guidelines state that “when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health”.>
