Supreme Court asks FSSAI to consider warning labels for packaged foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat

The Supreme Court has asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to consider introducing mandatory front-of-package warning labels (FOPL) on packaged food products high in sugar, salt and saturated fat. The court observed that such regulatory measures are essential to safeguard citizens’ right to health.

A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan directed the food regulator to place on record, within four weeks, its response examining the proposal to introduce labelling norms mandating front-of-package warnings on packaged foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat — substances widely associated with lifestyle ailments such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.

“….we want the authority to take this aspect into consideration. The suggestion is that on the wrapper/packet of any pre-packaged food product, there must be a warning in the form of front-of-package labelling. FOPL is something which is internationally prevalent. Let the authority revert to us within a period of four weeks”, the Bench recorded in its order dated February 10, 2025.

The top court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by 3S and Our Health Society, a non-profit organisation, seeking directions to mandate FOPL for food products containing high levels of sugar, salt or unhealthy fats. The court was apprised that such disclosures would enable consumers to make informed purchasing choices and help address the alarming rise in deaths linked to diabetes and heart ailments.

Earlier, in April 2025, the Bench had disposed of the petition with a direction to an expert committee constituted under the FSSAI to submit its recommendations within three months on the amendments required to the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, to introduce a front-of-package labelling regime.

Upon the expiry of the three-month period on July 9, 2025, the committee had moved the apex court seeking an extension, stating that it was undertaking pan-India consultations and required additional time to complete the exercise. Acceding to the request, the Bench had granted a further three months for the submission of its recommendations.

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‘Important issue’

Perusing the compliance affidavit filed by the regulator, the Bench on February 10, 2025, expressed dissatisfaction with the progress made. The Bench observed that the exercise undertaken thus far had failed to yield any “positive or good result”, despite the petition raising an issue of considerable public importance.

“Prima-facie, we are of the view that whatever exercise has been undertaken so far has not yielded any positive or good result. The PIL was filed with a particular purpose. It raised an important issue as regards the right to health of the citizens of this country”, the Bench said.

In its affidavit, the FSSAI submitted that consultation with all stakeholders was necessary before taking a final decision. The court was further apprised that, based on the expert committee’s recommendations, the authority would undertake additional research, including mapping representative samples of packaged foods across both solid and liquid categories. It was also informed that consumer surveys would be conducted to assess how label information is used, global trends in front-of-pack nutrition labelling would be reviewed, and extensive consultations would be held with large industry associations as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

In 2022, the FSSAI had proposed amendments to introduce the Indian Nutritional Rating (INR) system for front-of-package labelling. This required packaged foods to be rated on a scale of 0.5 to 5 stars, with a higher rating indicating a healthier product.

However, the petitioner had contended that the INR model is not globally accepted and fails to clearly disclose whether a product contains excessive levels of sugar, salt or saturated fats. Accordingly, it had urged the court to direct the authorities to mandate front-of-package warning labels explicitly flagging high levels of such ingredients, so as to enable consumers to make informed dietary choices.

The Centre, in an affidavit, had defended the INR model, claiming that it adopts a composite scoring framework that takes into account both “critical nutrients” such as added sugars, sodium and saturated fats and “positive components”, including fibre, protein and certain legumes and nuts.

“This balanced approach helps consumers understand the overall healthiness of a product, rather than focusing solely on its negative aspects,” the affidavit had stated.

Published – February 15, 2026 08:11 pm IST