India's Supreme Court Tuesday directed the country's food regulator to monitor and conduct period checks of all soft drinks sold in markets.
"The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India will conduct periodic checks of the carbonated drinks," a two-judge bench said, adding the matter relates to the fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
The apex court's order came in the wake of a public interest litigation filed in 2004 by the Center for Public Interest Litigation, which claimed that the ingredients of soft drinks have "serious deleterious effects on human health."
Soft drinks major Pepsi's counsel, however, had opposed the plea, claiming that the Food Safety and Standards Act was " sufficient".
