Here’s the deal. Like most millennials these days, I’ve been trying to watch what I eat and hit my protein goals. In some alternate, highly disciplined universe, I log every calorie and macro, track my meals extra precision, and high-five MyFitnessPal every night before bed.

In this universe? I flip over the packaging in the supermarket, squint at the nutrition label, and then mentally check out somewhere around “sodium per serving.”

I know, I know. It’s not that hard.

But also, it’s 2025. Just tell me if it’s healthy or not and let me move on with my life.

Turns out, I’m not the only one feeling this way.

The Supreme Court of India has now stepped in and essentially said, “Yeah, enough of this.” They've given the Centre three months to finalize and implement updated front-of-pack labeling rules so regular people can actually understand what they’re eating.

I did not expect to be aligned with the judiciary on my snacking habits, but here we are.

What does the court actually want?

This came out of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) aimed at demanding more transparency in food packaging. Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan have asked an expert committee to submit their recommendations for mandatory front-of-pack warning labels.  

And Justice Pardiwala didn’t exactly mince words:

Hard to argue with that.  

And this isn’t just about readability or design. It’s part of a bigger public health puzzle.

India is dealing with rising levels of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and other diseases. Many of these are tied to the overconsumption of processed food. More informative labels aren’t going to fix this overnight, but they’re a logical place to start.

What will change?

Back in 2024, FSSAI approved new labelling guidelines that call for key nutritional information like sugar, salt, and saturated fat to be displayed more prominently. Think bold fonts, larger sizes, and clear indicators of how much each serving contributes to your daily recommended intake.

This kind of front-of-pack labelling is standard in many other countries. In India, it’s been long overdue.

Now, with the Supreme Court stepping in, the Centre has been told to move faster, with July 1, 2025 being the implementation deadline.

For Indian food brands, that means a full packaging overhaul without missteps. One wrong number or missing label element could lead to fines, product recalls, or market entry delays.

Also read: How to comply with FSSAI packaging regulations

Where artwork management software comes in

Let’s be honest. Managing all these updates manually is just not ideal.  

Enter artwork management software.

A tool like Artwork Flow can take a lot of the chaos out of this transition. Once the new rules are in place, you’ll need to revise every label. And not just revise, but also review, approve, and archive everything to stay compliant.

With a platform like Artwork Flow, you can:

• Bring your design, marketing, and regulatory teams onto one collaborative platform.

• Automate checks for things like font size, missing allergens, and formatting.

• Track every version and revision in real time.

• Maintain a crystal-clear audit trail for compliance reviews.

Instead of juggling email threads, spreadsheets, and last-minute WhatsApp messages, you get a single source of truth for every label you work on.

In short: less room for error, fewer bottlenecks, and a much smoother path to compliance.

The takeaway

Clearer food labels are a welcome change, especially if they help more people make informed choices. But whether this turns into real impact or just becomes another checkbox for brands depends on how smoothly the rollout goes.

If you're part of a brand that's staring down the barrel of these new regulations, now’s the time to get your systems in place. Because this is coming, and it’s coming fast. And when it does, you’ll want the right tools in your corner.

Need to get your packaging shelf-ready without losing your mind? Artwork Flow can help you do just that. Get in touch today.

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