'Are You Under Corporate Pressure?': Supreme Court Questions Centre Over Food Labelling Delay

The Supreme Court on Thursday reportedly issued a two-week ultimatum to the Centre over mandatory front-of-pack warning labels for packaged foods containing high sugar, salt, and fat.

Pulling up the Central Government and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice K Vinod Chandran reportedly  questioned whether authorities were yielding to corporate pressure at the expense of public health, particularly that of growing children.

"The matter concerns the health of citizens particularly growing children and decisions regarding it should not be influenced by corporate pressure," the court reportedly told the Centre, warning that a verdict will be pronounced if compliance is delayed further.

Regulatory Lapses and Industry Pushback

The bench expressed strong displeasure during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) after the petitioner highlighted that FSSAI's March 7 meeting minutes contradicted earlier judicial directives. FSSAI had cited industry opposition to justify proposing simple tabular declarations of daily recommended limits instead of prominent front-of-pack warning marks.

Key Highlights of the Hearing

• Corporate Influence Alleged: The court remarked that the government faced immense pressure from large corporate entities and was actively yielding to them.
• FSSAI Affidavit Faulted: The petitioner pointed out that FSSAI selectively highlighted industry pushback while ignoring civil society evidence supporting warning labels.
• Traditional Food Defence Rejected: The bench dismissed arguments that strict rules would unfairly mark traditional Indian snacks like namkeen with red warnings.
• Consumer Right to Know: The justices stressed that warning labels aim to inform buyers rather than stop sales, leaving the ultimate purchase decision to consumers.
• Strict Two-Week Deadline: The apex court granted the Centre a final fortnight to implement the labelling proposal before issuing its own binding order.

Representing the Centre, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Brijender Chahar reportedly argued that applying developed-world packaging standards directly to India was impractical because traditional Indian food items naturally contain different levels of fat, sugar, and salt.

Rejecting Arguments on International Standards

When the ASG reportedly requested time to explain the government's intended course of action, the court firmly reiterated that the Centre must follow exact judicial instructions.

"Manufacturers might not like it, but the consumer ought to know," the bench observed, adding that food manufacturers cannot play a decisive role in matters governing public health.