 Street protests continue following an environmental group's claims |
The Indian parliament is to investigate reports of pesticides in Pepsi and Coca-Cola drinks after opposition MPs protested at a government ruling that the soft drinks posed no health risk.A 15-member committee, including opposition MPs, was agreed in a parliamentary vote on Friday.
On Thursday, the government said 12 samples soft drinks sold in India by the American giants did meet Indian health standards.
However, on Friday the western state of Maharashtra said it had found pesticide in one sampled Pepsi drink and had demanded an explanation from the firm.
The pesticide row erupted on 5 August when an Indian environmental group said the drinks contained harmful residues.
Indian Health Minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament on Thursday that the drinks met Indian safety limits, although some samples failed the higher standards of the European Union.
Company denials
The parliamentary committee will now order further tests on the drinks and will also suggest criteria for future standards.
Some MPs are demanding to know why Indian safety standards are below those in Europe.
Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration said it had tested Pepsi and Coca Cola samples from various plants in the state and found pesticides in one sample of Pepsi.
Administration commissioner Uttam Khobargade told AFP he had demanded an explanation from Pepsi for the presence of the pesticides in its sample.
The Centre for Science and Environment had alleged in a report that pesticides in the drinks could cause cancer and birth defects.
The report triggered demonstrations in India against the companies and a number of bans on the sales of their drinks.
Parliament banned its cafeterias from serving Pepsi and Coke while the defence ministry issued a circular ordering its clubs to stop selling the drinks.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi both strenuously deny the allegations.
The firms welcomed the health minister's statement giving the drinks the all clear.
Pepsi's chairman in India, Rajiv Bakshi, said: "The government has categorically declared our products safe."
Coca-Cola said its sales in India had slid by up to 15% following the pesticide allegations, but had steadied in the past week.
Ms Swaraj said two government laboratories had tested 12 samples of drinks made by Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
"The results clearly show that all the 12 samples do not have pesticide residues of the high order as was alleged" by the CSE, she said.
But CSE director Sunita Narain accused the government of "whitewashing" public health risks.
"The government has rushed to give a clean chit to the soft drink companies," Ms Narain said.
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