India News coverage: campaign against contaminated soft drinks
Saturday, August 5th, 2006
news:3/8/2006 Pesticides still in soft drinks - Ministry accused of stalling standards New Delhi, Aug. 2: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) today said soft drinks continue to hold cocktails of pesticides and charged the health ministry with stalling efforts to set limits. Releasing the findings of a new study, it said the levels of pesticide residues in some samples tested this year are higher than those observed in samples three years ago. The CSE tested 57 samples of soft drinks from 25 manufacturing plants across 12 states earlier this year, and found pesticide residues in all. Each contained residues of three to six pesticides. The tests revealed residues of lindane (a potential carcinogen), chlorpyrifos (a chemical that can affect the brain and nervous system), organochlorines and organophosphates, among others.
news:4/8/2006 Supreme Court issues notices to Pepsico, Coke New Delhi:The Supreme Court of Indiaon Friday issued notices to soft drink majors Pepsico and Coca Cola on a petition seeking that there should be a disclosure by the companies about the ingredients and chemical composition of the products. A bench comprising Justice SB Sinha and Justice Dalveer Bhandari directed the two soft drink companies to file their replies within four weeks. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigations (CPIL) had contended that the soft drinks contain some ingredients and chemicals hazardous to health. how some newspapers in India reacted to it Hindustan Times and our keralakaumudi’s front page story
Many Indian newspapers are campaigning against the use of softdrinkswhich are also widespread in educational institutions. Today Indian states like Delhi and Rajasthan banned cokes from the schools .Hopes many more follow their path.
