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.
Article comments
1 - John Guilfoil
Is this limited to India or have these findings been seen elsewhere?
2 - Aaman
I'm not sure if it's been reported elsewhere, or even been tested - it's not like one EXPECTS pesticides in cola, is it?
3 - Nancy
Somehow I'm not surprised, altho I am. What else do you expect from products that can be used, however, to clean off your car battery electrodes when you need a jump start?! That should tell anyone everything they need to know about exactly how healthy this stuff is for you.
4 - Djfloppy
Im not suprised at all by these claims...people today purchase all kinds of products without researching facts about what they are buying...
5 - JDM
The US company's are trying to slowly kill all the young Indian Techies with their soft drinks.