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Informist, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026

 

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--SC: FSSAI's timelines for introducing food warning labels unreasonable 
--CONTEXT: SC on plea to mandate warning labels on packaged foods 
--SC: Will decide on timelines for mandating food warning labels 
--SC asks FSSAI: Why so much time needed to implement food warning labels? 
--SC to FSSAI: Why to waste so much time when court concerned about health? 
--SC reserves order on plea to mandate warning labels on packaged foods 
--SC to FSSAI: Implement our orders in true spirit in interest of nation 

 

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Monday questioned the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India as to why so much time is needed to implement upfront labelling on packaged foods to specify products high in added fat, added sugar and salt, as well as specified sweetened beverages. "Why is the food safety regulator wasting so much time implementing food warning labels when the court was already concerned so much about public health," the top court said. 

 

The bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran said the food safety regulator's statement on the timeline needed to implement food warning labels and the suggestions given by the petitioner 3S and Our Health Society Public Charitable Trust, a non-profit organisation on the same, were unreasonable. The court said it will provide a reasonable timeline for the agency to implement these norms. "Do not disappoint the court, it expects the food safety regulator to comply with everything in the larger interests of the society," the bench said.

 

The apex court reserved its order on the petition seeking to mandate front-of-package warning labels on packaged foods. The top court asked the regulator to study the verdict and implement the orders in true spirit in national interest. It also asked food business operators to cooperate with the apex court.

 

The top court's statement on timelines came after the food safety regulator said food business operators will get a year from the date of notification to comply with upfront labelling to avoid any commercial hardships as they have pre-packaged material already printed in bulk.

 

At the 48th meeting of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, it was decided that amendments and changes in labelling requirements in products will come into force on Jul. 1, subject to a minimum transition period of 365 days from the date of notification, the regulator had said. The intention of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, is also to take into consideration that any measure taken by the food regulator should not be restrictive of trade, it said. However, the petitioner said the apex court should direct that the regulation on food warning labels would come into force on final publication, without any voluntary period and without waiting for Jul. 1.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Shubhayan Bhattacharya

 

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