Coke, Pepsi Products Contain Pesticides

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Coke, Pepsi Products Contain Pesticides JoAnn Guest Mar 22, 2005 13:07 PST

AP 5aug03

http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/2003/India-Coke-Pepsi-Pesticides5aug03.htm

 

 

NEW DELHI—Indian branches of multinational giants PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) and

Coca-Cola Co. (KO) are selling soft drinks containing dangerous levels

of pesticide residue, an independent research body alleged Tuesday.

 

Sunita Narain, chief of the independent New Delhi-based Center for

Science and Environment, told reporters the levels of pesticides in the

PepsiCo Inc. brands tested were 36 times higher than European Union

standards.

 

The average for all Coca-Cola products was 30 times higher than

guidelines used by the European Union, she said, noting the residue was

apparently coming from groundwater polluted by toxic pesticides.

 

" We tested the two soft drink brands sold in the United States to see if

these contained pesticides, " she said. " They didn't. "

 

Both the U.S.-based companies Tuesday rejected the claims and told

reporters at a joint news conference that they stood by the quality of

their products.

 

Narain said the two companies cannot be prosecuted because Indian laws

do not provide any scope for regulating pesticides in soft drinks.

 

" What is unfortunate is that the global players - two giant corporations

who swear by the principles of corporate responsibility and global

standards -have been caught in the act, taking advantage of the weak and

nonsensical regulatory standards in India, " Narain said.

 

Twelve samples of Pepsi and Coke purchased in and around the Indian

capital contained extremely toxic pesticides and insecticides, including

lindane, DDT and malathion, the researchers found.

 

" Each sample had enough poison to cause - in the long term - cancer,

damage to the nervous and reproductive systems, birth defects and severe

disruption of the immune system, " Narain said.

 

The research center didn't test Indian soft drinks because Pepsi and

Coca-Cola are the largest selling brands in the country, she said.

 

Six months ago, the Center of Science and Environment tested samples of

bottled water and found pesticide-residue levels to be as high as 104

times the internationally accepted norm.

 

The findings prompted the Indian government to withdraw quality

certificates given to some of India's most popular brands of bottled

water and issue strict guidelines.

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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