NEW DELHI:
The Supreme Court has sought further clarification from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on its proposed front-of-package labelling system for packaged food products, particularly warning labels for fat, sugar and salt.
A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran also asked the Centre to explain how nutritional literacy would be improved in schools, observing that children face a serious risk of developing unhealthy eating habits.
The court was hearing a petition filed by public charitable trust 3S and Our Health Society, which has sought directions to the Centre, states and Union Territories to make front-of-package labelling mandatory on packaged food products.
Front-of-package labelling is designed to provide consumers with simple and prominent nutritional information on food packaging, helping them make informed purchasing decisions and choose healthier food options.
The FSSAI had earlier informed the court about a proposal to introduce prominent red warning labels on food products that are high in added saturated fat, added sugar and salt.
According to the regulator’s two-phase proposal, the first phase would cover products containing high levels of two or more specified nutrients of concern, along with specified sweetened beverages.
The second phase would expand the labelling requirement to products that are high in any one of the specified nutrients.
The FSSAI has said the phased approach is intended to improve consumer acceptance and provide the food industry sufficient time to reformulate products.
The Supreme Court, however, questioned the absence of a clearly defined timeline between the two phases. It said the need to assess consumer acceptance or provide industry time for reformulation could not by itself justify uncertainty over the implementation schedule.
The court directed the FSSAI to provide a reasonable, scientifically justified and clearly defined timeline or transition period separating the two phases.
The Bench also sought clarification on how specific sweetened beverages would be identified under the first phase and what threshold levels would apply to the nutrients of concern in such beverages.
Other issues raised by the court included the proposed font size of the labels, the use of pictorial representations for fat, sugar and salt, and the placement of the front-of-package information.
The court asked the regulator to reconsider aspects of its proposed labelling framework in light of the suggestions raised during the hearing.
The FSSAI has been directed to file an affidavit addressing the court’s queries within 10 days. The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 28.