Coca-Cola under fire after creating potential conflict of interest: 'It is an invitation'

Coca-Cola was a major sponsor at a recent food and beverage conference in India, and it ruffled a few feathers in the nutrition community, according to South First. 

What's happening?

The government-run World Food India conference is one of the country's largest food policy events, and Coca-Cola has secured silver sponsorship, affording it a high amount of visibility. The think tank Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) flagged the potential for conflict of interest in this arrangement.

NAPi qualified Coca-Cola's products as "a serious public health risk" in a statement shared with South First.

"This is not just sponsorship," the organization said. "It is an invitation for a high-sugar beverage company to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the government in shaping the country's food future — even as children are being told to cut back on sugar."

That refers to "Sugar Boards" installed at 24,000 schools across India to educate on the harms of excessive sugar intake. 

Why is Coca-Cola's sponsorship important?

While Coca-Cola attempts to improve its brand image in the health sphere, it has also been criticized for greenwashing its activities to appeal to the environmentally conscious. Initiatives such as replacing plastic rings in some products and increasing the use of recycled content in bottles have done little to displace its status as the world's top plastic polluter for several years running. 

What's being done about Coca-Cola's health impacts?

NAPi is advocating for a conflict-of-interest policy within the Indian government to prevent companies like Coca-Cola from entering the public policy space. It says this should help meet national health goals, prevent aggressive marketing of harmful products to children, and build public trust in health messaging.

Until then, there will continue to be friction between stated goals and follow-up actions. "When the government partners with Big Soda, it sends the message that sugar board warnings are for classrooms, not conference halls," NAPi member Dr. Nupur Bidla said, per South First.

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