The Court further rejected the argument that other countries had not imposed similar labelling requirements and that the introduction of such measures in India alone could create unnecessary alarm.
The Bench, in its analysis, pointed to India’s reliance on bottled water, climatic and storage conditions, and problems such as counterfeiting and refilling.
“Therefore, this is a grave and important concern for our country, and no comparison can be made with other countries,” it held.
The Court proceeded to dismiss the FSSAI’s review plea as well as the recall applications filed by industry bodies, adding,
“The order, however, will be subject to further hearing of all the parties and continuation of the studies in this regard.”