India protesting poison soft drinks... Article jerked off google

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Way to go India.

Indian court orders soft drinks disclosureNew DelhiAugust 6, 2006

 

Protestors break bottles of Coca-Cola calling for the ban of all soft drink companies after an environmental group claimed soft drinks in India still contained traces of pesticide.Photo: Reuters

 

India's top court has asked the local subsidiaries of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to disclose the ingredients in the soft drinks they sell, amid allegations that they contain high levels of pesticide.

The Supreme Court notice yesterday came after a New Delhi-based independent research body said it found pesticide residue in samples of Coke and Pepsi that was 24 times above the limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

The Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi said it carried out tests on 57 samples taken from 11 soft drink brands made by Coca-Cola India and PepsiCo India.

The centre said it found a "cocktail of three to five different pesticides", all apparently present in groundwater used to make the drinks.

Offices of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo were shut during the weekend and none of their officials could be reached for comment.

Earlier this week, both companies denied the charges, saying the soft drinks they manufacture and sell in India "comply with stringent international norms and all applicable national regulations".

But a petition filed in the Supreme Court yesterday said that the drinks "contained highly toxic, acidic and addictive ingredients dangerous for human consumption", and that the consumer had a right to know about the contents, The Hindu newspaper reported.

The toxins found in the soft drinks could, if consumed over a long period, cause cancer, birth defects and damage to the nervous system, the Centre for Science and Environment said in a report released earlier this week.

The centre said nothing had changed since it first brought allegations against Coke and Pepsi in 2004 that the pesticide residue in their soft drinks made in India was 30 to 36 times higher than European Union standards.

At the time, the Supreme Court asked the federal government to introduce strict guidelines to regulate the manufacture of soft drinks.

Yesterday, Health Minister A. Ramadoss said he would make a statement on the issue in Parliament next week.

AP