The Supreme Court has expressed displeasure with FSSAI’s compliance on front-of-package nutrition labelling for packaged foods, observing that the exercise undertaken so far has not yielded any positive result. The Bench linked the matter to the right to health of citizens and directed FSSAI to revert within four weeks.
Report:
The Supreme Court, recently, expressed its dissatisfaction with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India over the lack of progress in implementing front-of-package nutrition labelling on packaged food products, observing that the regulator’s efforts thus far have failed to produce any meaningful outcome.
A Bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K.V. Viswanathan was hearing a miscellaneous application in a public interest litigation that had sought directions to the Union of India for implementing front-of-package warning labels on packaged foods indicating levels of sugars, salt and saturated fats. The writ petition had originally been disposed of in April 2025 with a direction to FSSAI’s Expert Committee to submit its recommendations within three months.
When the matter came up for compliance, the Court noted that FSSAI had filed a compliance affidavit, but the Bench made clear it was not satisfied with the progress shown. In its compliance affidavit, FSSAI had stated that the Expert Committee found several concerns among stakeholders regarding the applicability of the Indian Nutrition Rating algorithm. The regulator maintained that there was no consensus among stakeholders on the INR format that had been notified in draft form in 2022.
FSSAI further submitted that while it had notified draft amendment regulations in February 2025 inviting public comments, the Food Authority had deferred discussion on the matter in its meeting held in November 2025. The regulator indicated its intention to conduct further research, undertake systematic mapping of packaged food varieties, conduct consumer surveys, and ensure wider stakeholder consultation before taking further steps.
The Court, however, was unimpressed by this approach. The Bench observed that prima facie, whatever exercise had been undertaken so far had not yielded any positive or good result. The PIL had been filed with a particular purpose and raised an important issue concerning the right to health of citizens, the Court noted.
Taking into account a suggestion made by counsel for the petitioner, the Court indicated that packaged food products must carry warnings in the form of front-of-package labelling. The Bench illustrated this by referring to labels such as “HIGH IN SUGAR”, “HIGH IN SODIUM” and “HIGH IN SATURATED FAT” that could appear on product wrappers. The Court also observed that front-of-package labelling is something that is internationally prevalent.
The Bench directed FSSAI to revert within a period of four weeks and listed the matter accordingly.
Case title: 3S and Our Health Society v. Union of India & Anr., Miscellaneous Application No. 1177/2025 in W.P.(C) No. 437/2024
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