The Supreme Court has raised concerns about the growing consumption of unhealthy packaged food, particularly among children, and wants clearer warnings on the front of food packets.A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran on Thursday asked stakeholders to consider front-of-pack warning labels for products that contain high levels of salt, sugar and fat.“We are only concerned about the health of people, especially growing children,” the bench said, stressing that everyone involved should look at the issue in the “national interest.”The court said it would pass a detailed order on the matter and seek information from the concerned stakeholders. The case has been listed for the next hearing on September 28.The issue came up during a hearing on a plea filed by public charitable trust 3S and Our Health Society, which has sought mandatory warning labels on packaged foods.The bench also questioned the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) about whether it currently has rules requiring such warnings to appear on the front of a packet when a product crosses prescribed limits for sugar, salt or fat.At present, much of the nutritional information consumers see is placed on the back of food packaging. The court’s concern is that shoppers, especially parents and children, may not always notice or understand those details while making quick buying decisions.The FSSAI has already proposed a front-of-pack warning system. In an affidavit submitted to the court, the food regulator said it had proposed prominent red hexagonal labels for products high in added sugar, salt and saturated fat.Depending on the product, the proposed warnings could read “High Fat”, “High Sugar”, “High Salt” or “Highly Sweetened Beverage.”The system is expected to be introduced in phases. Under the first phase, warnings would apply to products that are high in at least two of the three nutrients, along with certain sweetened beverages. A second phase would expand the warnings to products that are high in any one of them.The proposed thresholds are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024, issued by the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition.As per an India Today report, during Thursday’s hearing, lawyers also raised concerns about ultra-processed foods and how they are presented to consumers. One suggestion was to use a warning colour that is clearly different from the familiar green and red symbols used to indicate vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.The Supreme Court had previously questioned delays in introducing stronger front-of-pack warnings and highlighted the country’s growing concerns over obesity and unhealthy diets.The court has also said that clear labels could help people make more informed choices about what they buy – something that becomes even more relevant when it comes to children and the growing popularity of junk and ultra-processed foods.Now, the court is expected to examine the proposed warning system in greater detail when the matter comes up again on September 28.Thumb Image: AI generated
