Ban on Coke and Pepsi "arbitrary and avoidable" : CII

Chennai, Aug 10 (UNI) Describing the ban on manufacture and sale of Coke and Pepsi by several State Governments as ''arbitrary and avoidable,'' the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) today said the Governments' reaction following reported presence of pesticide residuals in carbonated beverages had caused ''unnecessary panic''.

Expressing dismay over the latest controversy, CII President R Seshayee said in a statement that the Government actions had to be driven by rule of law and in the overall public interest.

He said such reactions, based on reports on a ''proposed'' standard that had not even been notified under the law of the land, would enormously impact the country's image and credibility.

The CII President expressed satisfaction at the Constitution of a National level committee by the Health Ministry under the Chairmanship of the DG, ICMR to examine the matter in greater detail and advise on the technical aspects of fixing Pesticide MRLs in soft drinks and the appropriate methods of analysis and testing protocols.

He also called for expeditious finalisation of the recommendations of the National level committee to enable its quicker implementation.

Mr Seshayee said the CII had been working very closely with national standard setting bodies, namely the Central Committee for Food Standards and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in facilitating development and implementation of scientific standards for all products, including the food and beverages sector.

The Industry was committed to providing consumer products, conforming to the highest standards of safety and quality, as appropriate to the country, he added.

Stating that as a general rule of CODEX, pesticide residue levels were fixed on raw agricultural commodities, Mr Seshayee said soft drink manufacturers were currently conforming to the input standards, as had been made applicable to them.

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