Indian government clears Pepsi, Coke of environmentalists' charges

NEW DELHI (AFP) Aug 21, 2003
The Indian government said Thursday that soft drinks sold by Coca-Cola and Pepsi were safe and did not include high levels of pesticides as alleged in an environmental group's report that triggered protests across the country.

Health Minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament the government had tested the US giants' 12 soft drinks named in the study and found they were "well within the safety limits" set by New Delhi.

"The results clearly show that all the 12 samples do not have pesticide residues of the high order as was alleged in a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based NGO (non-governmental organisation)," Swaraj said.

The CSE stunned India's 500-million-dollar soft drinks industry on August 5 with charges that the 12 brands contained pesticides up to 45 times more than European norms and could present serious health risks including cancer.

Parliament booted out the two soft drinks from its cafeteria and political activists staged angry protests across the country, smashing bottles of the fizzy drinks and burning pictures of Indian film stars who advertise for the beverages.

TERRA.WIRE