Supreme Court Gives 10-Day Deadline to Set a Timeline for Food Warning Labels in India

The Supreme Court of India has given the central government a 10-day ultimatum to provide a clear deadline for introducing warning labels on packaged food products. The court’s order puts more pressure on the government to keep a check on public health measures.

The issue came up after a non-profit organisation raised concerns about unclear food warning labels in India circulated by renowned brands.

Last month, India’s food safety regulator, FSSAI, proposed a two-phase labelling system under which packaged food products would carry red-coloured, hexagonal warning labels if they exceed the allowed limits in at least two of these factors: added sugar, added salt or saturated fats. The regulator has proposed an even stricter second phase, which would be implemented if there is no clear deadline.

The court stated that concerns about consumer acceptance or giving companies enough time to change their product labels should not create uncertainty about when the rules will be implemented. Earlier, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it would study the Supreme Court’s order, as the regulator is willing to implement both phases simultaneously.

The issue has led to a dispute between the food safety regulator and companies in India over food safety and warning labels.

A Reuters report sparked a discussion about big names including Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo, which had lobbied against stronger warning labels, as these companies argued that warning labels were not as effective.

At the same time, many companies have voluntarily introduced similar safety labels in some European regions. India’s food and drinks industry has opposed the move, stating that the labels could confuse consumers and may not be as effective as assumed.

The Supreme Court’s latest order now puts the focus on the government and the food regulator, FSSAI, to provide a clear timeline for implementation of the food warning label system in India.