8-Year Delay Stalls India’s Food Labelling Reform
India’s long-pending front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) regulation continues to face delays, with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India still engaged in consultations nearly eight years after releasing its first draft in 2018, raising concerns over regulatory inertia in addressing public health risks.
The issue has now reached the Supreme Court of India, where in an affidavit dated March 13, 2026, FSSAI sought six more weeks to submit a proposal on labelling packaged foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS), despite multiple rounds of stakeholder discussions over the years. The regulator has already conducted at least five consultation rounds and held another meeting on March 19, even as the matter stems from a public interest petition filed in May 2024.
The prolonged process has drawn criticism from public health experts and advocacy groups like Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), who argue that sufficient evidence and consultations already exist to move forward with implementation rather than reopening deliberations. The Supreme Court has also expressed dissatisfaction, noting that efforts so far “have not yielded any positive or good result,” while highlighting the urgency of protecting citizens’ right to health.
The delay comes despite rising concerns over non-communicable diseases linked to high consumption of ultra-processed foods rich in fat, sugar and salt. FOPL is widely seen as a critical policy tool to provide clear, front-facing nutritional information and influence healthier consumer choices.
With over 14,000 public comments received on draft regulations and 430 industry representations submitted in October 2025, the regulatory process remains complex and contested. As consultations continue, the absence of a clear implementation timeline keeps India’s food labelling reform in limbo, delaying potential benefits for both consumers and the broader food industry.
Source: Dairynews7x7 23rd March, 2026 Read full story here
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