Cola monitoring study report likely by Jan '07
There’s some relief for cola companies as an expert committee set up by the government found no conclusive evidence on the presence of pesticides in soft drinks.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: There’s some relief for cola companies as an expert committee set up by the government found no conclusive evidence on the presence of pesticides in soft drinks.
Up against the Opposition charge that the government had no clear policy on the issue, the health minister said the report of the monitoring study would be completed by January ’07. He said this will enable the government to prescribe composite standards for carbonated water following the due notification process.
BJP member Uday Singh sought to know whether the government has proposed to ban the manufacture and sale of soft drinks in the light of the CSE report that claimed presence of high levels of pesticides in soft drinks. He said the question was not of “banning or not banning”, and the issue of levels of pesticide was a short-term problem while that of health was the larger one.
Describing CSE director Sunita Narain as a “good friend”, the minister thanked her for bringing the issue to government’s notice. He said global studies had concluded that carbonated drinks led to obesity, diabetes and dental problems. “My priority is consumer safety,” he said.
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