The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was today asked by the Supreme Court to file “records” of the proceedings of its various panels, set up on apex court's order, passed during hearing of a plea on harmful effects of chemicals and toxins in carbonated drinks. A bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said, that produce records put up for hearing on December 3rd . The court gave its direction after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Centre For Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), alleged that instead of an expert panel,
another FSSAI panel on labelling and claims/ advertisement considered the grievance of additives in carbonated drinks.
The apex court had asked FSSAI on February 8, 2011 to set up independent scientific panels to examine harmful effects of chemicals in carbonated beverages.
FSSAI panel later passed an order on September 12 after examining various ingredients of carbonated beverages such as artificial sweetener, phosphoric, malic and citirc acid, carbon dioxide, colouring agents, benzoic acid and caffeine.