Soft drink majors Coca-Cola and Pepsi on Thursday welcomed the government's announcement giving clean chit to them regarding pesticide content in their products.
The companies now hope to revive their sale severely hit by the report, prepared by Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based non-governmental organisation, earlier this month, that found high level of pesticide in 12 leading brands of soft drinks sold in and around the Capital.
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Health and Family Welfare Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday gave a clean chit to the 12 soft drink brands, saying that their samples tested were 'well within the safety limits' prescribed for packaged drinking water at present.
Gupta said: "The statement made by the government will revive consumer confidence in our products. Restoring consumer confidence is now our top priority."
Three samples each of the 12 brands purchased from markets across the city, analysed in April-August and found to contain pesticides residues are Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Mirinda orange, Mirinda Lemon, Blue Pepsi, 7-Up, Coca Cola, Fanta, Limca, Sprite and Thumbs Up.
Admitting that the CSE report has lowered the sale of Coke by 15-20 per cent, Gupta said the company had no plans to sue CSE.
Expressing similar views a senior Pepsi official said it's finally "good news" for the company.
"We were confident about it. We strictly abide by international standards. We welcome the government's announcement," he said.
However, Sunita Narain, director, CSE dubbed as "very unfortunate" the government's statement in Lok Sabha and said: "We are deeply disappointed by the government's action. It is a matter of public health."
Questioned on Swaraj's statement that the pesticide residues were not of "high order", Narain said: "It is not a question of less pesticide or more pesticide than what we found. The fact is that they have found pesticide in the soft drink samples. And they (the government) must accept this."
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