Yet another nail in the soft drink coffin
I'm just sayin'...
But I do realize that the big picture is that the pesticides are from local ground water. This means that all East Indians in the area where the companies are getting their water are drinking ground water that already has these high levels of pesticides. Sigh.
New Delhi, Aug. 9 - India's southern Kerala state on Wednesday banned the Indian subsidiaries of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo from manufacturing and selling soft drinks, news reports said.
Several Indian states have banned the sale of Coke and Pepsi at schools and colleges after a New Delhi-based research body claimed they contained high levels of pesticide residue, but Kerala was the first state to impose a ban on production and sales across the board.
Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan, the state's elected head, told reporters that the decision was made based on a recommendation of the leftist coalition that governs Kerala.
Coca-Cola Co. (KO) and PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) could not be reached immediately for comment.
Last week, the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi said last week that it found pesticide residues in samples of Coke and Pepsi that were 24 times above the limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
The center said it carried out tests on 57 samples taken from 11 soft drink brands made by Coca-Cola India and PepsiCo India and found a "cocktail of three to five different pesticides," all apparently present in groundwater used to make the drinks. Both companies have denied the charges, saying the soft drinks they manufacture and sell in India "comply with stringent international norms and all applicable national regulations."
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Cochin, India, Aug. 23 - A southern Indian state said Wednesday it will not reverse its ban on the production and sale of soft drinks such as Coke, Pepsi and Sprite, even though the federal government has dismissed allegations that they are contaminated by high levels of pesticides.
Earlier this month, Kerala banned the production and sale of drinks made by the Indian subsidiaries of Coca Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. after the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi said the levels of pesticides in the drinks made them unsafe for humans.
But federal Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told Parliament Tuesday that his ministry found the center's data flawed.
Still, authorities in Kerala insisted the state's ban stands.
"Repeated studies have proved that the colas are not good for health. So we have banned them for people's welfare," said P. K. Sreemathi, Kerala's health minister. "Our decision is final ... We will enforce it strictly."
Six other states have banned the sale of the soft drinks in government-funded schools, colleges and hospitals since the center disclosed its findings earlier this month. Kerala, where Coca Cola and Pepsi both have bottling plants, is the only state to enforce a total ban.
Indian states have broad autonomy to make their own health and education policies, and they cannot be overruled by the federal government. Before the government said the center's data was flawed, Coke and Pepsi challenged Kerala's ban in the state's High Court. The case is scheduled to be heard Thursday.
These articles were taken from www.flexnews.com and they got them from Dow Jones Wires.
But I do realize that the big picture is that the pesticides are from local ground water. This means that all East Indians in the area where the companies are getting their water are drinking ground water that already has these high levels of pesticides. Sigh.
New Delhi, Aug. 9 - India's southern Kerala state on Wednesday banned the Indian subsidiaries of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo from manufacturing and selling soft drinks, news reports said.
Several Indian states have banned the sale of Coke and Pepsi at schools and colleges after a New Delhi-based research body claimed they contained high levels of pesticide residue, but Kerala was the first state to impose a ban on production and sales across the board.
Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan, the state's elected head, told reporters that the decision was made based on a recommendation of the leftist coalition that governs Kerala.
Coca-Cola Co. (KO) and PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) could not be reached immediately for comment.
Last week, the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi said last week that it found pesticide residues in samples of Coke and Pepsi that were 24 times above the limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
The center said it carried out tests on 57 samples taken from 11 soft drink brands made by Coca-Cola India and PepsiCo India and found a "cocktail of three to five different pesticides," all apparently present in groundwater used to make the drinks. Both companies have denied the charges, saying the soft drinks they manufacture and sell in India "comply with stringent international norms and all applicable national regulations."
**********
Cochin, India, Aug. 23 - A southern Indian state said Wednesday it will not reverse its ban on the production and sale of soft drinks such as Coke, Pepsi and Sprite, even though the federal government has dismissed allegations that they are contaminated by high levels of pesticides.
Earlier this month, Kerala banned the production and sale of drinks made by the Indian subsidiaries of Coca Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. after the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi said the levels of pesticides in the drinks made them unsafe for humans.
But federal Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told Parliament Tuesday that his ministry found the center's data flawed.
Still, authorities in Kerala insisted the state's ban stands.
"Repeated studies have proved that the colas are not good for health. So we have banned them for people's welfare," said P. K. Sreemathi, Kerala's health minister. "Our decision is final ... We will enforce it strictly."
Six other states have banned the sale of the soft drinks in government-funded schools, colleges and hospitals since the center disclosed its findings earlier this month. Kerala, where Coca Cola and Pepsi both have bottling plants, is the only state to enforce a total ban.
Indian states have broad autonomy to make their own health and education policies, and they cannot be overruled by the federal government. Before the government said the center's data was flawed, Coke and Pepsi challenged Kerala's ban in the state's High Court. The case is scheduled to be heard Thursday.
These articles were taken from www.flexnews.com and they got them from Dow Jones Wires.
posted by Maggie The LadyHawk | 9:40 AM
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