Soft drink firms' licence may be revoked

The government may consider revoking the licences of the companies manufacturing softdrinks in India if the report indicates presence of pesticides beyond the permissible level, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries N T Shanmugam said in Pune on Saturday.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on 'Food Processing Industries -- Present and Future' organized by Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he said samples of 15 brands of softdrinks and allied products have been sent for testing to the Centre for Food Technology Institute at Mysore and report is awaited.

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"If the report indicates presence of pesticides beyond the permissible limits, then we would take stern action against them and may also consider to revoke their manufacturing licences," Shanmugam said.

To a question on the credibility of the laboratory, he said the CFTI was an accredited laboratory therefore there was no need to question the methods and processes adopted in preparing the report.

Admitting that there were no government regulatory norms to define what constitutes good water, the minister said he has also written a letter to the health ministry to make "our own norms because as of now we went by the European norms."

The norms will have to be made jointly by the health, law and food ministries, Shanmugam added.

To a question as to why soft drinks were banned in Parliament but were openly sold elsewhere, Shanmugam said he would look into that aspect also.

He said the health ministry has taken the issue of the presence of pesticides very seriously.

"We are aware that the pesticide residue can also cause cancer if present beyond the permissible level. Hence, we will take stern action if the report confirms their presence," he added.

Earlier, addressing the seminar, he said the government was proposing compulsory introduction of a clause for public consultation in matters of food standard and safety.

Stating that he was aware of the inhibiting factor in the growth of food processing sector, which was the existence of multifarious food laws and multiplicity of implementing authorities, Shanmugham said his ministry has drafted a Food Safety and Standard Bill which was under the consideration of the Group of Ministers.