The Hindu : Front Page : Soft drinks banned within premises of educational institutions, hostels

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Thursday, Dec 21, 2006
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Soft drinks banned within premises of educational institutions, hostels

Special Correspondent

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BANGALORE: The State Government has issued a fresh ban against the sale and distribution of all soft drinks, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi, within the premises of educational institutions and student hostels with effect from December 18 citing "health hazards to children."

Minister for Health R. Ashok told presspersons here on Wednesday that the Government had decided to ban the sale of soft drinks on hospital premises too.

Ban on ajinomoto

The State Government has also decided to ban the use of mono sodium glutamate (commonly known as ajinomoto) in hotel food. Excessive use of this substance in food was noticed when the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike inspected 120 hotels in the city recently. It has also decided to ensure that the use of colouring substances and related chemicals in food is well within the permitted limits. Unlike the earlier occasion when high pesticide content was cited as the reason for banning the sale of soft drinks in educational institutions, the Government had now cited health problems such as child obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and tooth cavities caused by the consumption of soft drinks.

Mr. Ashok said the Government, which issued the earlier ban on soft drinks on August 9 under the Food Adulteration Act, withdrew it on December 15 because of legal problems. Now it had imposed the ban under Article 162 of the Constitution that provided executive power to the State in certain matters. The head of the PepsiCo in India had recently issued a statement that as a matter of policy the company did not promote the sale of carbonated beverages to children aged below 12, the Minister said.

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