2 weeks ago
Supreme Court gives food regulator two-week notice over missing labels
Imagine if a snack box had a big red sticker that said 'lots of sugar!'
so you knew right away it wasn't very healthy.
In India, the people who check food safety have been talking about adding such stickers for years, but they still haven't put them on packets.
A judge in the Supreme Court got annoyed and gave them two weeks to explain why.
Some people wanted star ratings like the ones on fridges, while doctors and health experts say a simple warning picture is better.
The food safety people also tried a chart of daily limits, but experts said it was too much homework for shoppers.
Other countries already do this — in Chile, many fewer sugary drinks were bought after warning labels appeared.
The court will hear from the food regulator again in two weeks to see what is being done.
If everything works out, families will one day be able to see at a glance which foods are full of fat, sugar, or salt.
The Supreme Court of India gave the FSSAI a two-week notice to explain why front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods still have not been implemented months after its February direction.
FSSAI's 2022 draft proposed a health star rating, but health experts want simple warning labels such as 'high in fats, sugars, and salts' instead.
Health activists rejected FSSAI's alternative proposal of a table showing daily recommended limits, saying it defeats the purpose of an instant consumer warning.
About 44 countries have front-of-pack label policies, at least 16 are mandatory, and Chile recorded a 24% drop in sugary drink consumption after adopting warning labels.
The regulator could overhaul the 2022 draft (likely taking about a year) or amend it, with activists hoping for a six-month to one-year implementation window.
- Who
- The Supreme Court of India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and health experts and activists.
- What
- The court demanded that the FSSAI explain within two weeks why mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods have not been implemented despite its February direction.
- Where
- India, at the Supreme Court.
- When
- On Thursday, months after the court's February direction; the four-year deadline set in FSSAI's 2022 draft notification has already passed.
- Why
- To resolve the long-delayed, consensus-blocked implementation of front-of-pack labels meant to let consumers instantly identify unhealthy foods.
Health Experts & Activists
FSSAI & Food Industry
Label design
Health Experts & Activists
A simple warning graphic such as a red or black symbol saying 'high in fats, sugars, and salts' gives consumers an instant, objective warning against unhealthy products.
FSSAI & Food Industry
A health star rating (1–5 stars), similar to energy-efficiency labels on electrical appliances, lets consumers compare how healthy a product is relative to others.
Information format
Health Experts & Activists
A table of daily recommended limits for added sugar, saturated fat and salt still forces consumers to do calculations before buying, defeating the purpose of an instant informed choice.
FSSAI & Food Industry
Presenting daily recommended limits in a tabular format provides detailed information while leaving the final decision to the informed consumer.
Implementation timeline
Health Experts & Activists
The original four-year window for mandatory adoption has already passed, so activists want a shortened deadline of about six months to a year.
FSSAI & Food Industry
Industry was originally given four years to comply, and a full overhaul with fresh stakeholder consultations may take about a year before a new deadline is set.
Key facts
- Regulator
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- Court directive
- Report back within two weeks on implementation of front-of-pack warning labels
- 2022 draft proposal
- Health star rating (1–5 stars) for packaged foods, mandatory four years after implementation
- Disputed format
- Activists reject table of daily limits; seek simple warning labels such as 'high in fats, sugars, and salts'
- Global adoption
- About 44 countries have front-of-pack label policies; at least 16 are mandatory
- Evidence cited
- Chile saw a 24% drop in sugary drink consumption; meta-analysis of 100 studies favours warning labels over traffic lights and nutri-score labels
- Possible timelines
- Overhauling the 2022 notification could take about a year; activists seek an implementation window of six months to a year
- Label examples worldwide
- Australia and New Zealand (star ratings), UK (traffic lights), Chile (black warning symbol), Netherlands/Czech Republic/Singapore (healthier-choice symbols)
Quotes
Justice Pardiwala
Supreme Court Justice who questioned FSSAI's compliance
“The regulator will just need to replace the health star rating with a warning label – whether they use a red symbol or a black one, I don’t think stakeholders would have a problem against it.”
indianexpress.com
“Are you taking the court for a toss? … Will you do it on your own or should we pass an order?”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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