New Delhi, Sep 11 (KNS): The Supreme Court has questioned the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over the delay in making front-of-pack warning labels mandatory for packaged foods high in sugar, salt and fat, asking why the system could not be introduced from the outset.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran, during a hearing on Thursday, sought an explanation from the food regulator on what it meant by a "reasonable period" for making the proposed warnings mandatory.

The court also questioned the need for a two-phase implementation of the front-of-pack labelling system proposed by FSSAI.

"We are only concerned about the health of people, especially growing children. We want all the concerned to consider the cause in national interest," the bench observed.

The court referred to concerns over the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among school-age children and adolescents and noted the growing availability of packaged food around educational institutions.

The bench also asked the Centre to file its response within 10 days and sought details on introducing nutritional education in school curricula.

It asked the government to explain how schools proposed to promote nutritional literacy through curriculum, initiatives and workshops, besides seeking clarity on how consumers should interpret nutritional information and front-of-pack labels on packaged food.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The Supreme Court also raised questions over the proposed red hexagonal design for the warnings, observing that it could potentially confuse consumers because of its similarity to the symbol used for identifying non-vegetarian food products.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 28.

FSSAI had earlier proposed a prominent red-coloured hexagonal warning label for packaged food products high in two or more of three specified nutrients added saturated fat, added sugar and salt.

The proposed labels would carry declarations such as "High Fat", "High Sugar", "High Salt" and "Highly Sweetened Beverage", depending on the nutrient levels in a product.

The regulator had said the proposed system was aimed at providing consumers with a simple and easily understandable warning about products containing high levels of specified nutrients.

The proposal was submitted to the apex court in compliance with its August 13 order in a public interest litigation seeking mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods.

The court's latest intervention comes amid a broader debate over the regulation of foods high in fat, sugar and salt and the need for consumers, particularly children, to have clearer information about the nutritional content of packaged products(KNS)