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Supreme Court Seeks Clarity on Food Warning Labels
India’s Supreme Court is examining how food packages should warn people about too much fat, sugar and salt.
The food regulator, FSSAI, has proposed putting red warnings on some packaged foods.
It wants to introduce the warnings in two steps.
The first step would cover foods high in at least two concerning nutrients and certain sweetened drinks.
The second step would cover foods high in any one of those nutrients.
The court said the plan needs clearer dates and scientific explanations.
It also suggested that pictures could help people understand the warnings better than words alone.
The court asked the government how schools can teach children to understand nutrition labels.
The Supreme Court asked FSSAI to clarify proposed front-of-package labels for fat, sugar and salt.
FSSAI has proposed red warnings, introduced in two phases, for foods high in nutrients of concern.
Phase I would cover products high in at least two nutrients and specified sweetened beverages; Phase II would cover products high in any one.
The court sought timelines, nutrient thresholds, font sizes, pictorial symbols and label placement details.
The Centre was asked to explain how schools will improve nutritional literacy, with the matter listed for September 28.
- Who
- The Supreme Court, FSSAI, the Union government and the public charitable trust 3S and Our Health Society.
- What
- The court sought clarifications on FSSAI’s proposed phased front-of-package warning labels and asked about nutritional education in schools.
- Where
- The proceedings took place before the Supreme Court in New Delhi.
- When
- The directions were issued on Thursday, with the matter scheduled for hearing on September 28; FSSAI was given 10 days to file clarifications.
- Why
- The court wants the labels to be clear, accessible to India’s diverse population and supported by a defined implementation timeline and nutritional-literacy plan.
Court Emphasis
Regulator and Industry Considerations
Implementation timeline
Court Emphasis
The court said consumer acceptability and industry reformulation time are not enough to justify uncertainty, and asked for a reasonable, scientifically justified timeline.
Regulator and Industry Considerations
FSSAI proposed a phased approach to support consumer acceptability and give industry adequate time to reformulate products.
Label design
Court Emphasis
The court said a word-heavy warning may assume varying levels of literacy and comprehension, and suggested combining words with pictorial representations.
Regulator and Industry Considerations
FSSAI’s current proposal, as described by the court, appears to rely mainly on words identifying products high in fat, sugar and salt.
Scope and implementation
Court Emphasis
The court sought clear criteria for sweetened beverages and nutrient thresholds before the proposal can be considered workable.
Regulator and Industry Considerations
FSSAI’s proposal distinguishes between products high in multiple nutrients in Phase I and products high in any one nutrient in Phase II.
Key facts
- Regulator
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- Labels proposed for
- Added saturated fat, added sugar and salt
- Proposed label format
- Prominent red front-of-package warnings
- Phase I
- Products high in two or more specified nutrients, plus specified sweetened beverages
- Phase II
- Products high in any one specified nutrient
- Court’s requested clarifications
- Implementation timeline, beverage criteria, nutrient thresholds, font size, pictorial symbols and label placement
- Next hearing
- September 28
Quotes
Supreme Court bench
The Supreme Court bench hearing the petition on front-of-package food labelling.
“Assessment of consumer acceptability or giving the industry adequate time for reformulation cannot be reason enough for this uncertainty in time. Therefore, a reasonable, scientifically justified and clearly defined timeline or transitionary period which divides the two-phases must be indicated, for the approach of the FSSAI to be a workable one.”
theprint.in
deccanchronicle.com
“In connection with this, we would like the Union to respond on how schools plan to incorporate through curriculum, initiatives, workshops etc, (i) the manner in which information provided in packaged food items, including nutritional information, FoPL etc., must be interpreted, and (ii) other aspects relating to nutritional literacy”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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