The Indian NGO Center for Science And Environment (CSE) reports that pesticide levels in both Pepsi and Coca Cola are higher than in their previous report in 2003, which raised a furor and led to a 15% decline in Coke sales in India, besides causing the issue to be raised in Parliament. A government committee has been at work developing pesticide standards for soft drinks, but there has been no final word for three years. The CSE puts it thus:

• Department of Consumer Affairs tells BIS not to “rush”; says health ministry not on board; companies are objecting.
• Ministry of Health says more research is needed. Says pilot study will be completed soon.

“Good science” is the convenient tool to obstruction. Companies win. We lose. Acceptable?

In the new report, the CSE found that Pepsi apparently contains 30 times more pesticides than the earlier tests done in 2003. The carcinogenic toxins include lindane, DDT, malathion and chlorpyrifos. The CSE upgraded its laboratory equipment, following charges from drink companies in 2003 that they were incapable of detecting pesticides and "knew no science." A gas chromatography/mass spectrometry machine that can precisely identify the molecules involved was added, and 57 soft drink samples from 25 plants in twelve states tested. They used the pesticide standard for bottled water, since none has been set for soft drinks. The findings speak for themselves.

• Pesticide residues found in all soft drinks tested
• A cocktail of three to sixe pesticides was present in all samples.
• 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.
• Chlorpyrifos (a known neurotoxin) levels were on average 47 times higher; Coca-Cola sample from Mumbai had 200 times higher level.
• Heptachlor, banned in India, was found in 71 per cent of the samples, at levels four times higher than BIS standards.

The Indian Soft Drink Manufacturers Association (ISDMA) said in a statement on Wednesday, "Soft drinks are completely safe," and asked people to cool it, have the real thing, ask for more, do the dew, taste the thunder, and finally, asked "What's the worst that can happen?" (Dr Pepper).

Their defense has been that milk and vegetables have more pesticides than cola drinks, and this has been countered by the CSE by pointing out that milk and vegetables are nutritious. Given that the main ingredients in soft drinks are sugar and water, the fault must lie in one or the other, and furthermore, given the 90% proportion of water, one can only say, "It's in the water!"