The Constitutional Court (MK) has partially granted a petition filed\nby Imamudin, an advocate, and Andru Steven, an artist, regarding a\njudicial review of the Consumer Protection Law and the Health Law.<\/p>\n
The Court now mandates that business actors provide clear and\naccurate information by including colour-coded labels and symbols on the\npackaging of food and beverages containing sugar, salt, and fat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe verdict: 1. Granting the petitioners\u2019 application in part,\u201d\nstated the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Suhartoyo, while\nreading the verdict at the MK Building in Jakarta on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The Court declared that Article 7(b) of Law 8\/1999 on Consumer\nProtection is unconstitutional and lacks binding legal force unless\ninterpreted as follows: \u201cThe obligation of business actors is to provide\ntrue, clear, honest, and adequate information regarding the guaranteed\ncondition of goods and\/or services, including the inclusion of colour\nlabels and symbols on the packaging of food and beverages containing\nsugar, salt, and fat, as well as providing explanations for use, repair,\nand maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the Court ruled that Article 148 of Law 17\/2023 on\nHealth is unconstitutional and lacks binding legal force unless\ninterpreted to mean that the Central and Regional Governments are\nresponsible for regulating and supervising the production, processing,\nand distribution of food and beverages, including mandating business\nactors to include colour labels and symbols on packaging containing\nsugar, salt, and fat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Court orders the publication of this decision in the State\nGazette of the Republic of Indonesia accordingly,\u201d said Suhartoyo,\nadding that the Court rejected the remainder of the petitioners\u2019\nclaims.<\/p>\n
Previously, the legal team representing the petitioners, including\nViktor Santoso Tandiasa and Rachmat Dwi Purtranto from VST and Partners\nLaw Firm, explained that the petitioners\u2019 constitutional rights had been\nharmed. The first petitioner suffers from diabetes with a blood sugar\nlevel of 749 mg\/dL, while Andru Steven has been hospitalised twice due\nto complications caused by the consumption of sweetened beverages.<\/p>\n
The petitioners requested that the Court mandate business actors to\ninclude colour labels accompanied by symbols on sweetened food and\nbeverage packaging to allow consumers to identify sugar content quickly.\nThey also sought a mandate for Central and Regional Governments to\nestablish regulations enforcing this practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to the petitioners, existing regulations have failed to\nprotect consumers because sugar content information is currently\npresented in a microscopic and manipulative manner on packaging, making\nit extremely difficult for consumers to identify quickly,\u201d Viktor stated\nin a written statement last Sunday.<\/p>\n
The petitioners requested the implementation of a new visual standard\nusing colour labels (red, yellow, and green) and symbols. This measure\nis deemed essential so that nutritional information is no longer merely\nadministrative but serves as an instant and inclusive risk mitigation\ntool for the entire population.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/constitutional-court-mandates-colour-coded-labelling-for-sugar-containing-food-and-drinks-1790679399", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }