Supreme Court Weighs Food Warning Labels as Industry Pushes Back on 100-Gram Rule
The Supreme Court heard a food industry group's objection to a 100-gram threshold for warning labels, questioned the regulator's two-phase plan, and was told stricter labels could start from phase one.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday examined the contentious question of how packaged food should carry warning labels, hearing objections from an industry body and pressing the country's food regulator on the design of its proposed rules.
An industry group representing food manufacturers told the court that applying a 100-gram threshold for warning labels would not be appropriate. The submission was made during the ongoing hearing on the labelling framework.
The court, for its part, made clear that its overriding concern is the health of citizens, particularly children. It also questioned the food regulator on why warning labels are being proposed in two phases rather than being introduced in one go.
In response, the regulator said it is open to implementing stricter warning labels from the first phase itself, a position that could shorten the timeline for tougher disclosure norms on packaged foods.
The hearing remains under way, with the court weighing public health considerations against the industry's concerns over the proposed threshold.