'Put food warning labels on the front': Supreme Court asks Centre to match international food safety standards as obesity is rising among children

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to act on front-of-pack warning labels for junk food as obesity, particularly among children, becomes a growing health concern in India, The Times of India reported.

The court said public health cannot face compromise and questioned the Centre’s reluctance to match food safety standards followed by developed countries. The bench also linked food safety with the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

'Should India remain as an underdeveloped country?'

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said the Centre could implement the warning-label requirement on its own, failing which the court could issue further directions.


“If the Union does it on its own, well and good, otherwise we shall proceed to pass further directions,” the bench said, according to the report.

The judges also rejected the Centre’s position that India could not match international food safety standards, particularly those followed by developed countries.

“We do not approve the stance of the Union when it says it is not possible to match with international standards, more particularly, developed countries,” the bench said.

“Should India remain as an underdeveloped country? That’s the question we are putting forward for the Union to consider,” it added.

Case linked to rising obesity and junk food consumption

The court made the observations while hearing a PIL filed by NGO 3S and Our HEALTH Society through advocate Rajiv Shankar Dvivedi.

The petition seeks stronger warnings on packaged foods containing high amounts of salt, sugar, saturated fat and calories. The court said clearer nutrition information could help consumers identify potentially unhealthy products and make better food choices.

The concern comes amid a rise in obesity among children and adolescents. According to figures cited in the report, the proportion of overweight school-going children and adolescents increased from 2% in 2000 to 10% in 2022.

Ultra-processed food market grows

India has also seen a sharp expansion in the consumption and market for ultra-processed foods.

The Economic Survey 2025-26 said India's ultra-processed food market grew by more than 150% between 2009 and 2023.

The Supreme Court's observations have therefore brought renewed attention to how packaged foods communicate their nutritional risks to consumers.

Front-of-pack warning labels would place key information prominently on the front of food packages, rather than requiring consumers to examine detailed nutritional information elsewhere on the packaging.

The court has now asked the Centre to consider whether India should bring its food safety requirements closer to international standards.

The bench indicated that if the government does not act on its own, it may consider issuing further directions in the matter

Maharashtra FDA's Tukaram Mundhe steps up food safety checks

The Supreme Court’s observations also come as Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has announced a state-wide food safety initiative ahead of the festive season. The Maharashtra FDA plans stricter checks on high-fat, salty and sugary (HFSS) foods across street vendors, restaurants and hotels, while also covering schools, anganwadis and community food programmes such as mahaprasad and bhandaras.

Mundhe has warned consumers against excessive consumption of such foods and said the FDA will step up inspections to enforce food safety rules. The move adds to growing regulatory scrutiny of foods linked to diet-related health concerns.

FSSAI steps up action on food labels and claims

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also intensified action against misleading food labels and health claims. The regulator said it issued more than 150 notices to food companies in recent months over misleading advertisements, false claims and labelling violations.

(With TOI inputs)