FSSAI proposes withdrawal of 2022 star-rating draft for packaged food
According to the news reports, the Supreme Court has granted four weeks for the FSSAI to respond to additional proposals placed on record, including reference to international warning-label models
18 Feb 2026 | By Sai Deepthi P
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has informed the Supreme Court of India that it intends to withdraw its 2022 draft regulations on Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling (FoPNL), citing lack of stakeholder consensus.
According to an affidavit filed before the Court last month, the regulator is not in a position to finalise the draft Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Amendment Regulations, 2022, which proposed an ‘Indian Nutrition Rating’ system assigning packaged foods a rating from half a star to five stars.
The draft framework followed a two-year consultative process and a survey conducted by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. However, subsequent expert committee deliberations and representations from stakeholders, reportedly exceeding 14,000, highlighted divergent views on the star-rating model.
The matter is being heard in a public interest litigation filed by consumer body 3S and Our Health Society. In April last year, a bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala directed the FSSAI to consider amendments and measures for implementing FoPNL.
In its affidavit, the regulator stated that it would undertake fresh consumer surveys to assess label usage, review global FoPNL trends, conduct wider stakeholder consultations including micro, small and medium enterprises, and carry out systematic mapping of packaged food categories.
An expert committee had earlier supported the star-rating system as a scientifically backed and self-explanatory format. A subsequent panel, however, noted the absence of consensus, with some stakeholders favouring non-interpretive nutrient declarations on the front of pack and others advocating colour-coded warning labels for high sugar, salt and saturated fat content.
The Committee of Secretaries, in a meeting held on 9 October 2025, reportedly recommended withdrawal of the draft notification in its current form to allow for wider consultation. The Supreme Court has granted four weeks for the FSSAI to respond to additional proposals placed on record, including reference to international warning-label models.
For now, the regulator has maintained that existing labelling provisions under the Food Safety and Standards framework continue to apply.