PepsiCo to work with GoI to set science-based norms

New Delhi, Aug 22: US soft drinks giant PepsiCo, embroiled in controversy over the presence of pesticides found in its soft drinks, today stated that it will continue to work with the Government of India to establish science-based norms for soft drinks.

''Our products in India conform to the highest international standards and are also in compliance with all national regulations and norms. We will continue to work with the GoI to establish science-based norms for soft drinks, which will go a long way in reassuring the consumers about the quality and safety of our products,'' a company spokesperson said.

Earlier today, Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss had informed the Lok Sabha that quality standards for soft drinks, including fixing of norms for pesticides in carbonated beverages, will be notified by January next year.

A high-level committee of experts under the chairmanship of ICMR director general is already examining the report of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on the presence of pesticides in 'excess' and other relevant materials, he added.

Describing as 'inconclusive' the CSE report on soft drinks released earlier this month, Mr Ramadoss said the government did not 'contradict' the non-government organisation findings but CSE had been asked to furnish more details on the tests it conducted on Pepsi and Coca Cola drinks. The CSE is expected to furnish that within a few days, he added.

Denying the allegations that the Central government was sleeping over' the matter, Mr Ramadoss said they had already directed the soft drink manfacturers to use only water which conformed to the quality standards of the packaged water.

He said the standards were being fixed for three main ingredients which drinks are composed of - water, sugar and concentrate.

The soft drinks majors were having patents for their concentrates which could not be questioned but the standards for the sugar used, which too have pesticide residues, will also be fixed, the Minister added.

Mr Ramadoss said the government was not in favour of any haste for fixing the standards for the Rs 50,000 crore soft drinks industry and wanted to take into account other aspects of the fast food which harmed people's health.

On the other hand, the CSE has issued a conditional acceptance of the Coca Cola offer for talks on the pesticide concern in food and beverages.

''We are open to dialogue on the issue of standard. The company sould spell out how they will ensure the standard,'' CSE Director Sunita Narain told UNI.

She said she had written a letter to president and CEO of the soft drink giant Atul Singh, accepting his proposal to have a meeting on the issue.

''We would like to suggest that the agenda for discussion needs to be on the setting of regulations for carbonated beverages and how your company will ensure that the process moves forward,'' Ms Narain said in the letter.

She said that she has told the company that the CSE has demanded that the regulations finalised by the BIS must be notified so that the process of validation of the test of methodology could begin.

''We therefore welcome the opportunity to discuss how this standard could be notified,'' she said in the letter.

The Coca Cola CEO had written a letter to the CSE on August 18 in which it had rejected its findings about the soft drinks containng dangerous level of pesticides, but had offfered to discuss the issue.

The Kerala government has put a blanket ban on the production and sale of cola.

UNI