Health Min ask stars to desist from endorsing soft drinks

Kolkata, Jun 09 (UNI) Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr A Ramadoss today appealed to the sportspersons and Bollywood stars to desist from endorsing soft drink brands, which are ''detrimental'' to the health of children.

''I urge the sportspersons and actors not to take advertisement assignments for the soft drink companies like the Colas and the Pepsis since they are detrimental to the health of children,'' Mr Ramadoss said at the golden jubilee function of Central Food Laboratory, Kolkata.

He said the Centre is in the process of implementing the 'Codex' procedure under WTO obligations and would shortly issue a notification making it mandatory to mention ingredients and nutritional values in food items.

The Minister said the Centre has placed an integrated Food Safety and Standardisation Law at Parliament to ensure stricter regulation of food items.

The new law would replace the existing Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and other regulatory acts governing food items, he said.

As part of its process to ensure international standardisation norms, the Centre would invest Rs 370 crore to modernise food and drug laboratories in the country he said and added that the fund has been obtained from the World Bank.

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