In a move that may cause concern to the multi-crore soft drink industry, the Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on a petition seeking a thorough examination of the contents of soft drinks marketed vigorously by the manufacturers despite they being "health hazards".

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 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.

Soft drinks, hard truths

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 and particularly on the health of 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 the soft drink manufacturers to disclose the contents and the quality of their products including appropriate warning about ingredients and their harmful effects.