NEW DELHI, Aug. 5. — Pepsi and Coca Cola products contain four toxic pesticide residues, said a Centre for Science and Environment report released today, after testing 12 of their major brands in Delhi markets. A similar test on samples taken from cola made in the USA did not reveal such toxins, CSE claimed.
According to the report, all the 12 soft drinks of the leading brands far exceeded the maximum residue limit for pesticides set by the European Economic Commission. The CSE tested three samples each of the soft drinks for pesticides, and came up with the alarming result that the drinks contained pesticide residues such as lindane, DDT, malathion and chlorpyrifos, and also arsenic, cadmium, lead and copper in enough amounts to cause long-term health hazards.
While DDT content in the drinks is 15 times higher than the norm, the lindane, chlorpyrifos and malathion content is 87 times higher than that. The pesticide content in all Pepsi products was 0.018 mg/l, 36 times higher than the EEC limit, and 0.015 mg/l (30 times higher) for Coca Cola. “Some of these residues are carcinogenic,” said Ms Sunita Narain, CSE director.
The CSE claimed that while in the USA water used to make these beverages is categorised as “food” so that there are standards they have to meet, similar factors here are rather “hazy”. “The BIS does not categorise water as ‘food’,” Ms Narain said, or fix standards for “potable water”.
The two soft drink giants, however, refuted CSE’s claims. Senior officials of the two companies, in a joint press conference within hours of the claims, said they would take legal recourse against CSE for levelling “baseless allegations”.
“The findings are absolutely baseless ... our samples are tested in internationally-accredited labs worldwide and there are no different quality standards for products whether sold in the USA or India,” said Coca-Cola India president Mr Sanjiv Gupta. Pepsi India chairman Mr Rajeev Bakshi said, “let the government appoint any international agency to test our products”, and expressed doubts about CSE’s expertise in testing. Ms Narain said: “We’re absolutely sure. Instead of discrediting us, they should improve their standards.”