2 soft drink MNCs
11 soft drink brands
25 manufacturing plants across
12 states
57 samples collected, clearly shows
”SOFT DRINKS ARE STILL UNSAFE“
Finds the 2006 nationwide study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)
Little done since 2003, when CSE found unsafe levels of pesticides in soft drink samples from Delhi.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) had asked for standards for carbonated beverages; the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has formulated standards. But the finalised standards have not been notified.
Our health, particularly the health of our children, seems to be of little concern to the so called MNCs,and its Brand ambassadors,regulator,the Union ministry of health and family welfare.
Companies tell us that they are safe because pesticide residues are tiny and are lower in their products than what is found in other products - say, milk and juice.
“But this is scientific jugglery.” says Sunita Narain of CSE.
Pesticides are tiny toxins and deadly for us if we are exposed to quantities higher than what is defined as an acceptable limit. In other words, our exposure, through the food we eat and water we drink, must be kept under the threshold of safety. The safe limit - or the standard - in each product is set keeping in mind the nutrition-pesticide trade-off - a quota for residues can be allowed in nutritive food like milk or juice, but not in non-nutritive products like carbonated beverages.
By the by what did CSE found in these soft drinks?
Highlights of the 2006 CSE study on pesticides in colas-II:
1) A cocktail of 3-6 pesticides was present in all samples.
2) Lindane (a confirmed carcinogen) levels were over 54 times above the BIS standard; in one Coca-Cola sample from Kolkata, it was 140 times higher.
3) Chlorpyrifos (a known neurotoxin) levels were 47 times higher; a Coca-Cola sample from Mumbai had a 200 times higherlevel.
4) Heptachlor, banned in India, was found in 71 per cent of the samples, at levels 4 times higher than BIS standards.
5) Average amount of pesticide residues found in all the samples was 11.85 parts per billion (ppb) - 24 times higher than the BIS standards for total pesticides in soft drinks (0.5 ppb).
6) Pepsi cola contained 30 times higher residues on an average.
7) Coca-Cola contained 27 times higher residues on an average.
As a matter of Fact Water is wasted like anything to manufacture these drinks,In producing a single liter of coke / pepsi 6 liters of precious water is wasted as effluent.In country like India water is a lifeline for millions,but these MNCs are wasting water to give us
PESTICIDES IN A COLOURED SWEETENED DRINK !
Think twice before you drink one .
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I work for an MNC and we have always tried to introduce western standards to India rather than compromise to Indian conditions. So it is sad to see Coca Cola and Pepsi compromising. However, this campaign looks like MNC bashing. Sunita Narain keeps saying that she wants standards for all food products but the media finds it is more newsworthy to attack Pepsi and Coke. I suppose Pepsi and Coke asked for it. The discussion on nutrition is nonsense - a lot of things we eat, sweets, savouries, chocalates are not good for health. Almost anything pleasurable is not good for health. So people will continue to drink Coke and Pepsi and I hope this campaign results in better food standards in all products.
how many days? more a month or so n the topic wud b cold, shut down n locked up untill another person pops up with another kind of contamination in any other food/beverage. tok tok tok tok is all we/thy do. kuch faayda hota hai? … i kn mani wud say, “pessimistic tok” but i say … “practical tok”. wht does any one do abt such things… time hai kisi ke paas ki, he leaves all his job/family responsibilities n go behind such things n fight for such koz? leave alone any one else? do i have time? not at all. best thing is…u wanna drink/eat? do tht, or else dont. even after knwing all ths pesticide shit…i do drink coke. y? koz i like it. i kn i sound odd…. but im sure no ones stopped drinkin mineral water even after knowing thy dont meet standards… did thy???? so simple as dat…i drink/eat wht i like….aage rab di marzi :D……phew…..bahut type kar diya …lol….
I know Ezhilan for more than ten years and he knows what he says. He is a chemistry graduate, working in a water treatment section of a fertiliser unit in south India. To drive home the point, he is a thorough-bred professional. I don”t agree with Anshul Bangalore that this post has been posted for the sake of posting. At the same time there is no second opinion that the foodstuff we consume these days does contain traces of pesticides.
oh! well done.keep it up
While i applaud the effort that has gone in collecting the statistics you have mentioned,but i think its more for posting sake rather than studying the subject.i fully agree with ashim and srinivas that more items that are consumed by more number of people are more contaminated and deadly than these soft drinks,i think experts should comment on this subject,rather than being bashed up by the media and everybody who dont have much knowledge on this subject.The water and food is also contaminated,and its not hogging the frontlines.This is purely because they are MNC’’s and being promoted by glamourous stars,I know for sure that i am not an expert on this subject,but let us leave this to experts,who are without any bias.
Indian Council of Medical Research says half of Indian food commodities produced have pesticides. But did you know - 1 apple has more pesticide than you would get by drinking a cola every week for next 75 years!
Sure, Colas have pesticides. But so does Breast milk, fruits, veggies, bread & ketchup. Not drinking Colas will help. Sure ! If you insist
While I appreciate your sentiment, I am horrified to see all the song and dance about whats essentially coloured water but has perforce become a symbol of mnc bashing the world over. While CSE was at it why did they not test drinking water across all of India’’s major cities? I am sure more people drink water than Pepsi or Coke. But that would not have landed them on the front pages would it? While they were at it why din”t they take pot shots at all the liquor and cigarette companies who continue to sell there wares with nary a care in the world. I am sure both are more harmful than a swig of either Pepsi or Coke. I am no fan of either but feel strongly that its about time we woke up to the real issues facing us and not get carried away.