SC was hearing a plea filed by NGO ‘3S and Our Health Society’ NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Thursday slammed the Centre and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for not implementing its direction on ‘front-of-pack warning labels’ on processed food packages and said their top priority should be the health of citizens and not the interest of MNCs.A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said the court could not be taken for a ride. The bench said its Feb order was not merely a suggestion but a direction to FSSAI which had to be complied with. It said FSSAI was bowing down to the manufacturing industry and made it clear that if the food regulator didn’t do it, the court would pass an order. It granted two weeks to FSSAI to reconsider its stance.In Feb, the court directed the Centre and the FSSAI to give top priority to the health concerns of citizens and not to the interests of multinational companies and asked it to implement a ‘front-of-pack warning labels’ system on processed food packages to ensure clear, front-facing symbols designed to instantly identify ingredients like sugar, salt and saturated fat, besides calories.It also rejected the Centre’s contention that international standards could not be applied in India and asked whether India should remain underdeveloped.SC was hearing a plea filed by NGO ‘3S and Our Health Society’. The regulator informed SC consultations were held with all stakeholders in March, and a majority of industry organisations were opposed to the inclusion of ‘warning labels’ and favoured an approach intended to enable informed consumer decisions “without creating fear among consumers”.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe court asked govt to respond within two weeks. “We have made ourselves abundantly clear that we are concerned with the health of citizens… We still impress upon the Union of India to seriously consider the suggestion and take appropriate action.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosAir India Tightens Pilot Safety Checks After AI2379 Altitude Loss And Positive Marijuana TestJPSC-JSSC Stir Enters Day 20: Police Book 600 After Assembly March, Students Refuse To Back DownAkali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal Near Hazur Sahib Gurdwara, Assailant Uses Sharp Weapon | WatchPrajwal Revanna’s Jail Phone Had 90 Porn Videos, Senior Prison Official Suspended After Search’Is This The Way In Democracy?’Kharge Fumes, Raises Haldwani ‘Purification’ Row, Nadda Assures ProbeRed Fort Blast: UN Security Council Body Links Deadly Attack To AQIS; Reveals Grisly DetailsPit Bull Attack in Patiala Couple Suffers Multiple Injuries- Wife Undergoes SurgeryThreat Letter Targets Kashmiri Pandits In Kashmir, Employees Asked To Stay Alert Amid Security FearChilling Crash Video: Atiq Ahmed’s Son’s Creta Flips After Losing Control On Highway | WatchUdhayanidhi Backs CM Vijay’s Tamil Nadu Delimitation Stand, Demands No Cut In State’s LS Seats123PhotostoriesExclusive – From struggling with the painful tear gas stunt due to asthma to life as an expat in Thailand; Avika Gor on Khatron Ke Khiladi 15, stunts and moreA high-value woman doesn’t chase validation: 5 Signs of a woman who knows her worth, sets boundaries and walks away when neededOprah Winfrey talks sleep with Dr John La Puma: Why your nighttime routine may be affecting your heart, hormones and body clock’Vishwanath And Sons’: Five reasons to watch Suriya and Mamitha Baiju starrer helmed by Venky Atluri on big screens10 baby names inspired by the “first light of dawn”Why defrosting your fridge is important and 3 smart ways to do itWhy do train tracks have small stones around them? Here’s what they actually doYour balcony can be more than a laundry zone: 8 clever makeover ideas to turn a small Indian apartment balcony into a space you will actually useAlia Bhatt’s hairstylist Amit Thakur reveals the truth about hair spas!Kangana Ranaut turns heads on her first Teej in a Kanjeevaram lime green saree, proving traditional never means boring123Hot PicksKaroline LeavittNCERTTrump SocialJharkhand protestN ChandrasekaranNEET PG 2026 city slipIran warKarnataka bandhUP NEET UG counsellingTop TrendingChhattisgarh NH-30 AccidentKarnataka Closed TodayMallikarjun KhargeBengaluru Mother AccidentGermany Haryana Youth MurderGujarat SuicideSouth Delhi MurderAbhijeet DipkeWeather TomorrowShakeel Noorani
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Thursday slammed the Centre and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for not implementing its direction on ‘front-of-pack warning labels’ on processed food packages and said their top priority should be the health of citizens and not the interest of MNCs.A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said the court could not be taken for a ride. The bench said its Feb order was not merely a suggestion but a direction to FSSAI which had to be complied with. It said FSSAI was bowing down to the manufacturing industry and made it clear that if the food regulator didn’t do it, the court would pass an order. It granted two weeks to FSSAI to reconsider its stance.In Feb, the court directed the Centre and the FSSAI to give top priority to the health concerns of citizens and not to the interests of multinational companies and asked it to implement a ‘front-of-pack warning labels’ system on processed food packages to ensure clear, front-facing symbols designed to instantly identify ingredients like sugar, salt and saturated fat, besides calories.It also rejected the Centre’s contention that international standards could not be applied in India and asked whether India should remain underdeveloped.SC was hearing a plea filed by NGO ‘3S and Our Health Society’. The regulator informed SC consultations were held with all stakeholders in March, and a majority of industry organisations were opposed to the inclusion of ‘warning labels’ and favoured an approach intended to enable informed consumer decisions “without creating fear among consumers”.
Share your thoughts in the comments
Be respectful · TOI community guidelines
The court asked govt to respond within two weeks. “We have made ourselves abundantly clear that we are concerned with the health of citizens… We still impress upon the Union of India to seriously consider the suggestion and take appropriate action.”
