SC seeks clear timeline for FSSAI’s food warning label rollout, calls for nutritional literacy in schools

The Supreme Court has put the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) two-phase rollout of front-of-pack warning labels (FoPL) under the scanner, warning that the second phase could be “indefinitely postponed” in the absence of a clear timeline. The court also asked the Centre to consider introducing nutritional education in schools to help children understand food labels and make informed dietary choices.

Under the proposed rollout, warnings would initially apply to packaged foods high in two or more nutrients of concern — added fat, added sugar and salt — and would be extended in the second phase to products high in even one of them. The FSSAI had proposed the phased approach to give consumers time to adapt to the new labels and the food industry time to reformulate its products.