The Supreme Court has given the Centre a three-month deadline to enforce stricter food labelling rules, making it mandatory to clearly display nutritional information on packaged food items.

A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), instructed the Centre to make a final judgment on revising the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, within three months.

 “You all have grandchildren? Let the order on the petition come. You will know what Kurkure and Maggi are and how their wrappers should be. The packets have no information,” Justice Pardiwala said during the hearing, highlighting the lack of transparency in food packaging.

The PIL had sought directions to make Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FoPWL) mandatory for packaged foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat—substances linked to lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart problems.

The Centre, responding to the court, said that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had already begun the amendment process and received over 14,000 public comments on the proposed labelling norms.

The court disposed of the PIL but issued a firm directive for the Centre to finalise and implement the new regulations within three months.

In June 2024, the FSSAI approved draft rules requiring packaged food companies to display key nutritional information—including total sugar, salt, saturated fat, and percentage of recommended daily intake (RDA)—in bold letters and prominent font on the front of packets.

According to the government's affidavit, the changes are being made to help consumers make informed choices and improve public health outcomes.

 “The information regarding per serve percentage contribution to RDAs would be given in bold letters for total sugar, total saturated fat and sodium content,” the statement said.

 “Along with empowering consumers to make healthier choices, the amendment would also contribute towards efforts to combat the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and promote public health and well-being," it added.

The updated rules will modify Regulation 2(v) and 5(3) of the existing FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which define how serving sizes and nutritional information should be presented on labels.

Experts have long expressed alarm about the growing consumption of ultra-processed meals in India, particularly among children.  Products such as chips, noodles, sodas, and packaged snacks frequently lack clear labelling, making it difficult for families to assess their health impact.

With noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) including obesity, hypertension, and Type 2 diabetes on the rise, public health advocates have lobbied the government to require front-of-pack labels to discourage excessive intake of sugar, salt, and fat.