The Madras High Court on Wednesday rejected a petition by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) seeking a review of its February 6, 2026 order directing manufacturers to print bold warning labels on PET bottles used for drinking water and on plastic packs for sugar and salt. The bench, comprising Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, dismissed the application, leaving the labeling requirement in place.
The FSSAI argued that the court’s directive could “cause public panic and disruption in supply chain,” citing the agency’s assessment that scientific studies on the health effects of micro‑ and nano‑plastics remain inconclusive and that research is still in a nascent stage【F1/S1】. The authority added that a report relied upon by the court for the February order was merely a review of worldwide scholarly papers and did not establish a definitive health risk from the levels of micro‑ or nano‑plastics found in foods【F3/S1】.
In its submission, the FSSAI highlighted that while some studies suggest a possible impact on human health, “the overall scientific evidence does not demonstrate that levels of microplastics or nano plastics found in foods pose a risk to human health”【F4/S1】. The agency also noted that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had previously taken cognisance of a 2022 Hindu article titled “Detecting microplastics in human blood” and had directed the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct further studies on the issue【F5/S1】.
The FSSAI said it has written to the ICMR twice requesting the research, but the council has not yet responded【F6/S1】. Nonetheless, the authority agreed to fund the ICMR study and a separate investigation by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, which was initiated at the request of the Tamil Nadu government【F7/S1】.
The court’s refusal to revisit its earlier order means that manufacturers of bottled drinking water, sugar and salt must continue to affix the mandated warning labels in bold lettering on relevant plastic packaging, pending any future scientific clarification.
Sources
– The Hindu, “Madras High Court refuses to review its order on micro/nano plastics warning labels on bottled water, sugar and salt,” September 28 2026, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/madras-high-court-refuses-to-review-its-order-on-micronano-plastics-warning-labels-on-bottled-water-sugar-and-salt/article71518436.ece
Source: The Hindu – National
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Story synopsis gathered from: The Hindu – National — source
