Union Health Ministry, FSSAI 'fail to respond' to NHRC directive on packaged food

By Jag Jivan*

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed deep concern over the adverse health effects caused by packaged foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats. Recognizing it as a violation of the Right to Life and Right to Health of Indian citizens, the quasi-judicial body called for a response from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding its selection of front-of-pack labels aimed at providing consumers with information to make healthier choices.
Established in 1993 with the purpose of safeguarding human rights in the country, the NHRC issued the directive in response to a complaint filed on September 14, 2021, by Shruti Nagvanshi and Shirin Shabana Khan on behalf of the Peoples' Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) and the Savitri Bai Phule Mahila Panchayat of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
The Commission issued its first notice on October 11, 2021, to the Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, followed by February 9, 2022 directive to the Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI. On September 20, 2022 FSSAI introduced the Front of Pack Labelling (FOPL) draft regulation, which was subsequently opened for public comment.
Shruti Nagvanshi, co-complainant and Convenor of the Savitri Bai Phule Mahila Panchayat, remarked, "Indians are witnessing a sharp rise in premature deaths and morbidity due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, obesity, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases. These ailments are affecting the youth and children, sometimes as early as 5 years of age."
According to her, "Packaged food products with high levels of sugar, salt, or fats are a primary cause of this crisis. Unable to tolerate the harm being inflicted on consumers unknowingly, we approached the NHRC to assert that consumers have the right to know what's in their food."
She added, "A clear warning on FOPL is the only way to protect our children and people from catastrophic health consequences. While FSSAI has introduced a draft regulation and proposed a certain type of FOPL, it is not the best choice for the people. We need a clear warning and not a misleading star-based rating system."

In a rare move, NHRC decided to constitute a full commission for this matter. According to Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi, Founder and Convenor of PVCHR, "In the interest of public health, it would be appropriate for FSSAI to abandon the idea of a star rating. An alert or warning label is the need of the hour."

He added, "For over two years now, members of the PIPAL (People's Initiative for Participatory Action on Food Labeling) network have been advocating for the protection of a child's right to healthy food and a healthy life. This is a significant moment for this movement, and we hope that FSSAI pays heed."
Dr Yuvraj Singh, commenting on FSSAI's proposed India Nutrition Rating (INR), stated, "The notion that unhealthy food can become healthy simply by adding fruits or nuts is erroneous and lacks scientific basis. The assignment of stars is based on a complex scoring system that values positive factors such as the inclusion of fruit or nuts. This 'star rating' may mask many of the detrimental effects of these products and convey a misleading message to the public."
Expressing confidence in the full commission, Shirin Shabana Khan, Program Director of PVCHR, said, "There is enough evidence from India, including a study conducted by the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), and leading nutritionists like Dr Chandrakant Pandav, that warning labels work best. Countries worldwide are adopting warning labels to protect their people. We should adhere to what is right and scientific."
Shruti Nagvanshi emphasized that the journey has not been easy, with NHRC issuing reminders and notices to the Ministry of Health and FSSAI that received no responses.

---

*Freelance writer

Comments

Beyond India-China borders: Economic links expand, political gaps persist

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Despite growing trade between India and China, a persistent trust deficit continues to shape their bilateral relationship. Expanding economic engagement has not fully resolved political differences, many of which stem from historical legacies as well as contemporary geopolitical concerns. Border disputes—often traced to colonial-era arrangements—remain a significant obstacle to deeper cooperation, while differing strategic alignments in global affairs add further complexity.

Operation Epic Fury: Making America great at the world’s expense?

By N.S. Venkataraman* The decades-long enmity between Iran and Israel is well-documented, but historically, their direct confrontations have been brief, constrained by the logistical and economic limitations of sustained warfare. The current conflict in the Middle East, however, marks a radical and dangerous departure from this pattern.

'Tax the top': Nationwide protests demand action as 1% control 40% of India’s wealth

By A Representative Civil rights groups across the country observed the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh on March 23, as people from diverse backgrounds united to raise their voices against growing economic inequality. The mobilisations marked the launch of a nationwide campaign against inequality, running from March 23 to April 14 (Ambedkar Jayanti), under the banner of the “Tax The Top” campaign.

Gujarat cadre to HDFC: When bureaucratic style hits corporate walls

By Rajiv Shah I was a little amused by the abrupt March 17, 2026 resignation of Atanu Chakraborty —a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of the 1985 batch who retired from the government in 2020—as chairman of HDFC Bank . Much of what may have led to his decision to quit this ostensibly high post—actually a non-executive, part-time role—is by now well known. I followed most of it online with considerable interest, partly because I had interacted with him umpteen times during my stint as The Times of India correspondent in Gandhinagar from 1997 to 2012.

Fair prices, fresh produce: Vegetable market opens in Rajasthan tribal village

By Vikas Meshram* On 18 March 2026, the tribal village of Sajjangarh in southern Rajasthan witnessed the grand and dignified inauguration of a new vegetable market (mandi). Established through the tireless joint efforts of the Krushi Avam Adivasi Swaraj Sangathan (Bhilkuaan) and Vaagdhara, under the active leadership of the Gram Panchayat of Sajjangarh, the market is being hailed as a cornerstone for local self-governance, self-reliance, and a sustainable rural economy.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Ex-IAS Atanu Chakraborty and a tale of two different Gujarat vision documents

By Rajiv Shah The likely appointment of Atanu Chakraborty as HDFC Bank chairman interested me for several reasons, but above all because I have interacted with him closely during my more than 14 year stint in Gandhinagar for the “Times of India”. One of the few decent Gujarat cadre bureaucrats, Chakraborty, belonging to the 1985 IAS batch, at least till I covered Sachivalaya was surely above controversies. He loved to remain faceless, never desired publicity, was professional to the core, and never indulged in loose talk. When he neared retirement, which happened in April 2020, first there were rumours in Sachivalaya that he would be appointed SEBI chairman, and then there was talk he would be chairman (or was it CEO?) of Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City (a dream project of Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister, which as Prime Minister Modi wants to promote, come what may). But, for some strange reasons, and I don’t know why, none of this happened, despite the fact...

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Witnessing Iran beyond propaganda: Truth, war, and the path beyond western paradigm

By Naile Manjarrés On June 23, 2025—marked as the 2nd of Tir, 1404, on the Persian calendar—a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced. This "night of the decree" shifted the trajectory of global affairs; although the world may appear unchanged on the surface, we have yet to fully grasp its impact.

Search This Blog