The Hindu : National : 'New norms for soft drinks being delayed'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 25, 2004

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National

'New norms for soft drinks being delayed'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 24. The controversy over the presence of pesticides in soft drinks samples has taken a new turn. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which brought the problem to limelight, today alleged that the experts panel set up by the Government to set new standards for soft drinks was `deliberately trying to delay it'.

In a press release, the NGO charged that a meeting of the panel — Pesticide Residues Sub-Committee — held here today decided to recommend that a nationwide monitoring of soft drinks for pesticide residues be undertaken before the issue of setting up of new norms were finalised.

It termed the decision "strange" considering that the main agenda before the meeting was to finalise the new norms, in keeping with the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

After six months of discussions, the parliamentary panel had clearly directed the Government to set new stringent standards for soft drinks.

Quoting from the JPC's report, the CSE said that it had clearly concluded that "unsafe even if trace'' should be the eventual goal vis-à-vis the level of pesticide residues in soft dinks and had stated that "the reason that the other countries have not fixed such limits should not dissuade our lawmakers in attempting to do so, particularly when a vulnerable section of the population, who are young and constitute a vast national asset, are consuming soft drinks." The CSE, the release said, had also learnt that the experts panel at its last meeting held in March had decided to invite 21 stakeholders to present their views and the list included Coca Cola and Pepsi, industry associations and bottlers, while excluding the CSE, even though it had brought the issue to the fore.

Speaking to The Hindu, the Director of the CSE, Sunita Narain, hoped that the new Union Health Minister would not accept the decision.

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