New Delhi: The Supreme Court has urged authorities and stakeholders to take a coordinated decision, in the national interest, on introducing front-of-pack warning labels for packaged food items that contain high levels of salt, sugar and fat.
Hearing a public interest petition, the court noted concerns that obesity is emerging as a public health issue across the country, and that heavily salted, sugary and fatty packaged snacks are widely consumed by both children and adults.
A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Vinod Chandran reiterated that public health—especially children’s health—must be protected. The judges also raised questions to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on whether clear guidelines have been framed to flag products that exceed prescribed limits, given that ingredient details are typically printed on the back of packets.
Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for the petitioner, argued that ultra-processed foods should not be treated on par with nutritious items and suggested stricter, distinct warning symbols—possibly in a special colour—for such products. The bench said a detailed order would be issued in a day or two and adjourned the matter to the 28th, asking all parties to review the uploaded order and be prepared for the next hearing.
