India’s Madras High Court has refused to reconsider an order requiring bottled drinking water, sugar and salt sold in plastic packaging to warn consumers that they may contain micro- or nanoplastics. The food regulator argued that health risks remain scientifically uncertain and warnings could alarm consumers. The court said uncertainty does not prevent precautionary disclosure and stressed consumers’ right to informed choices.
Personal Remarks
I think the Indian court’s decision is fair. The EU should consider the same approach. But there is an obvious contradiction: Europe worries about microplastics in food while simultaneously promoting compostable plastic packaging that can end up in compost, soils and agricultural land. If microplastic contamination deserves warning labels, the EU should apply the precautionary principle consistently across its own policies.