Front-of-pack warning labels have been India's longest pending food reform. Now the Supreme Court is turning it into a science exam for FSSAI.
The second page of the hearing, in a PIL by 3S and Our Health Society seeking mandatory warnings on foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fats, shows the bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran asking 13 pointed questions. FSSAI has finally said labels will be red hexagons on the front if a product is high in two or more nutrients of concern. Thresholds will follow ICMR-NIN's 2024 Dietary Guidelines.
But the bench asked: On what basis? Is it total sugar and saturated fat as discussed in 2021 stakeholder consultation, or only "added sugar" and "added fat" as FSSAI now proposes? How will trans-fat be factored? The court also questioned combining words with pictorial representations vs multiple distinct hexagons for each nutrient.
Crucially, the court questioned the physiological justification for combining multiple warnings in a single hexagon rather than using separate symbols, noting distinct hexagons could make it easier for consumers to identify individual risks from a distance. It flagged that reducing salt, sugar and fat could lead manufacturers to increase artificial preservatives, emulsifiers and additives, given their functional roles in taste, texture and shelf life, and asked FSSAI to address this unintended consequence through corresponding regulations.
It also asked whether thresholds would erase distinction between food categories 2 and 3 under 2024 guidelines, and whether differences in processing and distinction between HFSS foods and ultra-processed foods should be reflected. On design, the bench said FSSAI's proposal was silent on dimensions of hexagon, whether standardised or proportional to area of package, font size, placement.
The petitioners cited UNICEF Child Nutrition Report 2025 - overweight among 5-19 year old children rose from 2% to 10% between 2000 and 2022 - and that nearly 80% of foods available near schools are packaged snacks. They argued FoPL could inform choice and push reformulation.
The court noted significant progress since August 13 but directed FSSAI to file affidavit in 10 days, next hearing September 28. It rejected argument that consumer adjustment or industry reformulation alone justifies open-ended transition.
The message: Chile and Mexico did warnings and saw industry reformulate. India cannot do a label so vague and small it changes nothing. The red hexagon is coming, but its science must be fixed first.