The Supreme Court of India has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to prepare and submit its final recommendations on the implementation of Front-of-Package Warning Labels (FOPWL) within a three-month timeframe. The order was passed by a Bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan on April 9, 2025.
“We dispose of this Writ Petition with a direction to the Expert Committee to prepare its recommendation and submit a Report in that regard at the earliest so that relying on the report, the necessary amendments can be given effect to,” the Court ordered.
PETITION FOR HEALTH-CENTRIC LABELLING
The directive was issued in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by 3S And Our Health Society, a charitable organization. The PIL sought mandatory warning labels on packaged food products to alert consumers about sugar, salt, and saturated fat content.
The petitioner was represented by Advocate-on-Record Rajiv Shankar Dvivedi, while the Union of India and FSSAI were represented by Additional Solicitor General Brijender Chahar.
FSSAI’S DRAFT REGULATION AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK
In its response, FSSAI outlined the steps taken toward implementing Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL). A draft notification for amending the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 was issued on September 13, 2022, introducing the Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) — a star-based system that ranks the nutritional value of food items.
“It is submitted that to analyse and address the robust public feedback on the draft amendment notification, FSSAI constituted an Expert Committee on 17th February 2023. This committee, comprising of experts involved with FSSAI in developing FOPNL over the years, conducted five meetings and carefully reviewed all stakeholder’s comments,” the FSSAI stated in its affidavit.
“The expert committee in its 5th meeting has prepared the report of its recommendation. The report of the expert committee and the amended final (draft) notification of FSS (Labelling and Display) Amendment Regulations, 2022 will be submitted to the Scientific Committee for further recommendation and approval.”
COURT OBSERVATIONS
The Court acknowledged the procedural and technical aspects involved in revising labeling regulations but stressed the urgency of the matter.
“We dispose of this Writ Petition with a direction to the Expert Committee to prepare its recommendation and submit a Report in that regard at the earliest so that relying on the report, the necessary amendments can be given effect to,” the Bench reiterated.
The Court also emphasized the importance of acting on scientific findings and expert recommendations to promote informed consumer choices and public health.
CASE DETAILS
- Case Title: 3S And Our Health Society v. Union of India & Ors.
- Writ Petition (Civil) No.: 437/2024
- Date of Order: April 9, 2025
APPEARANCES
FOR PETITIONER: AoR Rajiv Shankar Dvivedi, Advocates S.K. Sarkar, Bhushan, Rishi Jain
FOR RESPONDENTS: ASG Brijender Chahar, AoR Sudarshan Lamba, Advocates Swarupama Chaturvedi, Anmol Chandan, Bhuvan Kapoor, Vaishnav Kriti Singh, Harsh Hiroo Gursahani, Suhaan Mukerji, Adarsh Kumar, Sayandeep Pahari, Tanmay Sinha
NEXT STEPS
The Expert Committee’s report, expected within three months, will guide the final decision on whether and how Front-of-Package Warning Labels should be mandated across packaged food items. The implementation of such labels could mark a significant shift in India’s public health and food safety standards.
