JPC to probe all drinks, including liquor, bottled water

The Joint Parliamentary Committee set up to probe allegations of pesticides in soft drinks has expanded its ambit to cover juices, iced tea, milk and milk products, liquor and even bottled water.

"The JPC's terms of reference are to suggest criteria for evolving suitable safety standards for soft drinks, juices and other beverages like milk and liquor where water is the main ingredient," in view of recent findings of the CSE, JPC Chairman Sharad Pawar told reporters in New Delhi.

Also Read The Cola Row: Complete Coverage

At its first meeting on Tuesday, the 15-member JPC decided to request the Lok Sabha speaker to appoint a small committee of experts in an advisory capacity to be associated with it on a full-time basis as the subject was 'too technical.'

It wanted Dr G Thiagrajan, N K Agnihotri and S K Khanna who are experts in the field of pesticide monitoring, agriculture and chemicals and toxicology respectively to be associated with the committee.

Replying to questions, Pawar said the JPC felt that the health ministry could have waited before issuing the draft notification on bottled water till the panel gave its report.

The committee, which will meet on October 9, has invited ministries of health, food processing, agriculture and the Bureau of Indian Standards, besides APEDA, to give their views.

CSE, whose report on alleged high levels of pesticides in soft drinks resulted in the formation of this JPC, has also been invited to give its views on the same day.

Pawar said the committee will also invite suggestions, comments and recommendations from experts, NGOs, industry associations, farmers' associations, toxicologists and others to seek their views.

The committee would also visit some laboratories and some states, he said and replied in the affirmative when asked if Pepsi and Coke will be asked to depose before the panel.

Asked whether the JPC would be able to submit its report before the Winter Session of Parliament beginning in November or seek an extension, he said utmost efforts will be made to meet this deadline.

Except Prem Gupta of the RJD, the other 14 members were present for the first JPC meeting.

The JPC members witnessed presentations from two laboratories, Central Food Laboratory and Central Food Technological Research Institute, which had earlier tested the soft drink samples, besides the one from Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research chief R A Mashelkar on the testing methodology used for detection of pesticides.