Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha on Tuesday raised questions over “misleading branding and false advertising” by fruit juice drinks in India. Speaking in Parliament, Chadha asserted that many of the products are “sugar syrups” marketed as fruit juices.
The AAP MP said that a large segment of consumers, especially young people, consume these drinks, believing that they are healthy and nutritious, while in reality many of the products are just “sugar syrup.”
“When we buy fruit juice, there is a picture of fresh fruit juice, but the back of the package says that the picture is for marketing purposes only,” Chadha pointed out, pointing out the misleading pictures.
He also raised concerns about the effects of consuming such drinks, noting that they can cause diabetes, obesity and lifestyle diseases.
Read also: “No refund”. No extension. ‘He’s just gone’: Raghav Chaddha speaks out against data caps on mobile recharge, demands deportation
“My question to the honorable minister, through you, is what steps is the government taking to ensure that misleading images are banned so that companies do not mislead visually while complying technically,” Chadha said.
He also asked the government what steps are being taken to ensure that disclosure of products containing high sugar content is placed at the front of the package. Chadha sought clarity on the product category, calling for products to be categorized between real fruit juice and drinks made with sugar, concentrates and preservatives.
After speaking in Parliament, Chadha also took to X and posted, “Think you’re drinking fruit juice? Think again. Big food brands are selling sugar-laced water with glossy pictures of ‘fresh fruit’ on the front.”
Also Read: Raghav Chadha calls for filing joint tax returns for married couples to improve tax fairness
He said misleading brands were driving millions, especially children, to develop diabetes and lifestyle diseases.
Chadha urged the government to take decisive steps to protect consumers and ensure that branding and advertising practices are honest and not deceptive.
The AAP MP has raised similar issues of general importance in Parliament. Earlier, we raised concerns about daily data caps in prepaid mobile recharge plans and talked about allowing married couples in India to file joint income tax returns.
