Front and centre, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court directed FSSAI to consider mandatory front-of-package warning labels on foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
• The directive follows concerns about rising non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases in India.
• An NGO (3S and Our Health Society) petitioned for disclosures to enable informed consumer choices and reduce deaths from related ailments.
• The Court previously directed an expert committee to recommend amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.

Detailed Insights:

• The Court expressed dissatisfaction with FSSAI's compliance report, noting the lack of positive outcomes from consultations.
• A point of contention was FSSAI's proposal for an Indian Nutrition Rating model, which the petitioner opposed for not aligning with global standards.
• The Court's intervention aims to push the ultra-processed food industry to adopt universally accepted safeguards for consumer information.
• The 2023 ICMR-INDIAB study revealed that 11.4% of the Indian population (101 million people) has diabetes, with 136 million more in prediabetes.
• High rates of hypertension (35.5%), abdominal obesity (39.5%), and high cholesterol (24%) highlight the urgency of preventive measures like front-of-package labeling.
• Implementing front-of-package labeling is crucial for establishing a continuum of care that prioritizes disease prevention.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Front-of-Package Labelling: Labels on the front of food packaging that quickly and clearly convey information about the product's nutritional content.
• Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs): Diseases that are not infectious and cannot be transmitted from person to person, such as diabetes and heart disease.
• FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India): A statutory body responsible for regulating and supervising food safety in India.