The Supreme Court has given a big signal amid the increasing dependence on packed food items in the country. The court has asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to seriously consider the proposal to put clear warning labels on the front of packaged food items. The court said that products containing high sugar, fat and salt are increasing the risk to people’s health, hence it is important to provide clear information to the consumers.
What is the whole matter and what did the court say?
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Vishwanathan, was hearing a PIL. The petition demanded that large and clear warning labels on the front of packed food should be made mandatory. The court said that prima facie this demand appears to be in the interest of public health. The court agreed that if a food item contains excess sugar, saturated fat and sodium, then this information should be visible on the front of the packet.
Read this also- ‘Work or give way, the post is not permanent’; Rahul Gandhi’s warning to 200 district heads of six states
Public health is above the opposition of companies
During the hearing, the court clearly said that the opposition of food companies cannot be greater than the duty of the regulatory body. It is the responsibility of FSSAI to protect the health of consumers. The court also warned that if the authority continues to delay the issue, the court may have to intervene. The court has directed FSSAI to file its reply on record within four weeks.
Why was the information written behind considered insufficient?
The petition said that at present the information related to nutrition is mostly written in small print on the back of the packets. The common customer is not able to read or understand it while purchasing. As the trend of packaged food has increased rapidly, a warning symbol or color based label on the front will help the customer immediately understand how safe or unsafe the product is. The court considered this argument serious.
Read this also- India will buy crude oil from wherever cheap and good oil is available; Government’s reply to parliamentary committee
Increased monitoring on food labeling
In recent months, FSSAI has also increased the strictness regarding food labeling. Several packaged food companies have been issued notices and advisories over misleading or baseless health and nutrition claims. Special checks have been conducted on edible oils, honey, beverages, nutraceuticals and ready-to-eat products. The regulator has said that false claims mislead consumers.
Major flaws came to light even in independent study
An independent study by digital food labeling platform LabelBlind Solutions also revealed several flaws. According to the study, nearly one-third of the labeling claims in the packaged food products examined were not in compliance with regulations or were not adequately supported. Most of the adulteration was found in everyday products like honey, ghee, edible oil and tea.
Common household products are most affected
According to the report, about 80 percent of the health claims made on honey, 65.5 percent on ghee, 54.3 percent on tea and herbal drinks and 52.9 percent on edible oil did not stand the test. It is clear from this that the biggest problem is in the products used daily. Now after the strictness of the Supreme Court, the issue of warning labels in front of packed food may intensify at the policy level.
Other videos-