Supreme Court directs FSSAI to implement food labelling

The Supreme Court of India has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to implement front-of-package labelling (FOPL) on pre-packaged food products. This move aims to align with international standards and provide consumers with clearer information regarding nutritional content. The court has stipulated that if the FSSAI does not act within two weeks, it will issue necessary orders to mandate the labelling.

The implementation has faced delays as the central government navigates concerns regarding traditional foods that often contain high levels of sugar, salt, and oil. Previous attempts by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) to classify certain traditional foods as unhealthy faced significant backlash due to potential impacts on informal food vendors.

Proponents of the mandate highlight the urgency of the issue, noting that approximately 80 per cent of these packaged products are sold near schools, and up to 10 per cent of school-age children are currently overweight.