The Supreme Court on Monday reserved its judgment on whether packaged foods high in sugar, salt and fat must carry mandatory front-of-pack warning labels. The court said its order will be binding on the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran directed all parties to file final written submissions within three days. The court questioned voluntary compliance, noting that urgent health risks need immediate action, not delay.

The FSSAI told the court it now favours a single-phase rollout: a red hexagon with a white square, modelled on Canada's format, would flag any product where even one nutrient — added sugar, salt or fat — breaches the threshold. The regulator sought four months to finalise draft rules and one year of voluntary transition for companies.

The PIL, filed by 3S and Our Health Society, links ultra-processed food to diabetes, obesity and heart disease. 'We are undertaking this entire exercise for the good of the nation,' Justice Pardiwala said. Why it matters: a binding verdict could change how every packaged snack in India is labelled.