The Supreme Court on September 10, 2026, sought further information from the Centre and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on its proposal to introduce phased front-of-pack labelling (FoPL) for packaged food products, with particular emphasis on protecting children from uninformed dietary choices.
A Bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran asked the Union government to explain how schools propose to incorporate nutritional literacy into their curriculum, initiatives and workshops, particularly to help children understand nutritional information and FoPL displayed on packaged foods.
The Bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by NGO 3S And Our Health Society.
In an affidavit filed on August 28, the FSSAI informed the Court that it had prepared a proposal for interpretive labels identifying nutrients of concern, including fat, sugar and salt, through a pictorial “red hexagon” displayed on the front of food packages. FSSAI noted that the label offers a clear, visible warning to consumers about products high in specific nutrients.
The Bench acknowledged the progress made by the FSSAI but observed that several aspects concerning the practical implementation of the proposed regime remained unclear.
The Court sought a reasonable and fixed timeline for implementing the two proposed phases and questioned the basis for including products high in two or more nutrients of concern and specified sweetened beverages in Phase I, while placing products high in any one nutrient of concern in Phase II.
It also asked the FSSAI to explain how specific sweetened beverages would be identified and what nutrient thresholds would apply to them.
The Bench sought details on how thresholds for fat, sugar and other nutrients would be determined, including whether differences between various food categories and levels of processing would be taken into account. It also sought clarification on whether total sugar and saturated fat would be used for calculating thresholds and how trans-fat levels would be factored into fat calculations.
The Court questioned the rationale behind choosing a red hexagon for the proposed warning label, noting that red is commonly associated with non-vegetarian food among Indian consumers.
It asked whether the colour should be reconsidered and sought details regarding the proposed dimensions, standardisation, font size and placement of the hexagons on food packages.
The Bench also questioned whether a composite hexagon for products containing two or more nutrients of concern would be sufficiently understandable, asking why separate symbols had not been proposed for individual nutrients.
The Court further sought information on measures to prevent manufacturers from increasing the use of artificial preservatives, emulsifiers and other ingredients following the implementation of FoPL.
The Bench also asked whether the FSSAI proposed a voluntary compliance period after mandatory FoPL regulations are notified and, if so, how long that period would last.
Emphasising the vulnerability of children to impulse and uninformed dietary decisions, the Court asked the Centre to explain how schools would teach students to interpret packaged-food labels and nutritional information, including FoPL.
The Centre and FSSAI were directed to file affidavits answering the Court’s queries within 10 days.
The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 28, 2026.
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