Supreme Court pulls up FSSAI over delay in warning labels on packaged foods

The Supreme Court on Thursday criticised the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over the delay in introducing warning labels on packaged foods, questioning whether the government was sufficiently concerned about public health.

A Bench comprising justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran was hearing a public interest litigation filed by charitable trusts 3S and Our Health Society. The petition seeks directions to the Centre, states and Union territories to mandate front-of-package warning labels on packaged food products.

The Bench said such labels were necessary to help consumers make informed choices, particularly as children were increasingly becoming accustomed to junk food.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of progress, Justice Pardiwala questioned additional solicitor general Brijender Chahar over the authorities’ failure to act on the court’s earlier order.

“Are you taking the court for a toss?” the judge asked.

The court stressed that it was pursuing the matter in the public interest and asked whether the authorities intended to implement the measure voluntarily or required a binding judicial direction.

The petition argued that warning labels should clearly identify products containing excessive quantities of sugar, salt and saturated fat. High consumption of these ingredients is associated with obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses and certain forms of cancer.

It also drew attention to India’s rising burden of lifestyle-related illnesses, claiming that non-communicable diseases account for more than six million deaths annually and that diabetes affects nearly one in four Indians.

With IANS inputs