Report on SC Notice to Government on Soft Drink PIL
Report on SC Notice to Government on Soft Drink PIL
SC Notice to Government on Soft Drink PIL
Our Delhi Bureau
New Delhi, 10th July, 2022
The Supreme Court today stepped up pressure on the government to review the contents of soft drinks marketed in the country. The court issued a notice to the Centre on a petition seeking a thorough examination of the contents of soft drinks on the ground that they pose ‘health hazards’. This follows the court’s observation earlier last month when it dismissed petition filed by soft drink makers Pepsi and Cocacola, challenging a Rajasthan High Court order asking them to print on containers, the extent of pesticide residues in their products.
In its latest salvo, a Bench comprising Chief justice R.C. Lahoti and justice G.P. Mathur issued the notice on a petition by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) alleging that the government, which has a duty to protect the life of citizens, has not taken any initiative in this regard despite several researches finding soft drink contents to be harmful, especially for children. The petitioner requested the court to direct the Centre to constitute an expert technical committee to evaluate the harmful effects of soft drinks on human health, particularly children and put in place a regulatory regime to control and check the contents of particular chemical additives in foods and soft drinks. It also requested the court to make it mandatory for soft drink manufacturers to disclose the contents and the quality of their products including appropriate warning about ingredients and their harmful effects.
Economic Times, dated 1th July, 2022