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SC gives Centre two weeks on food warning labels
NDTV··14 Aug
The Supreme Court on August 13 gave the Centre two weeks to place a final decision on front-of-pack warning labels for packaged foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat. Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said this was the last chance and that the bench would dictate a judgment if the government did not act.
Prism
What It Means For You
- If you buy packaged snacks, the court has given the Centre two weeks to decide whether high sugar, salt and fat must carry a front warning.
- Parents of school-age children can note the bench repeatedly tied the labels to what growing children consume, including namkeen and chips.
- Anyone watching FSSAI can see the regulator still preferring a daily-limit table after a March stakeholder meeting where industry opposed warning marks.
What's Happening
- On August 13 Justices Pardiwala and Vinod Chandran told the Union to put a final labelling decision on record within two weeks.
- The bench said if the government did not act, the court would write the judgment itself.
- The Centre argued warning symbols could appear on traditional snacks, while the court said the purchase choice remains with the consumer.
How Front-of-Pack Labels Reached the Court
- The petition was filed by 3S and Our Health Society, seeking mandatory interpretive warnings rather than a nutrition table on the front of the pack.
- FSSAI cited a March 19 2026 consultation where most industry groups said warning labels would create fear among consumers.
- ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines 2024 set the daily numbers FSSAI wants to show as pictures: 25 grams sugar, 10 grams saturated fat, 5 grams salt.
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