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  .

To Reach the Global people , the same content is maintained and updated in my yet another 2 Blogs.Please visit that blogs too if you like the design and other elements out there.
http://bluegold.blog.com
http://bluegold.squarespace.com