Dear Editor,
To my mind, there is not a single laboratory report that suggests that the consumption of leading soft drink brands is good for health. On the contrary, they are harmful; the high sugar content causes a loss of tooth enamel, decay, diabetes and other related problems. This apart, there is the worry of pesticides being present and beyond prescribed limits, as was reported some time ago in the case of a soft drink made by a food multinational. Nevertheless, several film personalities and cricketers continue to endorse such unsuitable food items. They ought to verify the laboratory report issued by the government before promoting any food product else they should be held squarely responsible for health hazards such products may cause. Across India, there are people who mindlessly consume such drinks/products because they are endorsed by celebrities. Therefore, I find nothing far-fetched in the move to prosecute celebrities who have endorsed a food product which is now said to be unsafe. It would be ideal if a note on the potential health hazards a food product can cause is printed on the labels of such drinks/products, as is done in the case of tobacco products.
Rohini Sharma
Dinga Amb, Kathua