Soft drink pesticides

1. SOFT
DRINKS
PESTICIDE
S
Ms. JASPREET KAUR

4. INTRODUCTION
– Soft drinks are regarded as the water-based, non-alcoholic flavoured
drinks which could be either sweetened, carbonated or acidulated.
– Among the various kinds of soft drinks available in the market, the
brown-coloured carbonated cola drinks mainly contains caffeine.
Considering the global scenario, soft drinks (carbonated) are one of
the most consumed beverages.
– The other most commonly consumed beverages include bottled
water (31%), still drinks (10%), juices/nectars (8%) and diluatables
(6%).

6. REGULATIONS
FSSAI has allowed certain additives which could be added into the beverages including
– acidifying agents (citric acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, etc.);
– antioxidants like ascorbic acid; preservatives (sorbic acid and its sodium, potassium
and calcium salts as sorbic acid, sulphur dioxide, benzoic acid);
– artificial sweeteners (aspartame, acesulphame K, saccharin sodium, sucralose);
– colours (titanium oxide, ponceau, carmoisine, erythrosine, tartrazine, sunset yellow
etc.);
– flavour enhancers;
– anticaking agents in powders like sodium aluminium silicate;
– thickening agents/stabilizers/emulsifying agents (gums, alginates, pectins etc.); and
– antifoaming agents like dimethyl polysiloxane.

8. Soft Drinks Pesticide Controversy
in India
– The caselet highlights the pesticide controversy that Cola majors
faced in 2003. It describes the New Delhi-based environmental
group, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report that put
the entire soft drink industry in a bad light.
– The report claimed that its laboratory tests had discovered that
most soft drinks sold in India were contaminated with large doses
of pesticides like Lindane, DDT, Chlorpyrifos, and Malathion.

9. BACKGROUND
– The history of Cola majors in India was marred with controversies starting with
Coke, which was asked to leave India by a left-leaning government in 1977.
– Tests by campaigners showed Pepsi's soft drinks had 36 times the level of
pesticide residues permitted under EU regulations and Coca-Cola's had 30 times
the level. Since the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has an unclear and
indeterminate standards for pesticide residues, CSE used the European standard
for maximum acceptable limits for pesticide in package water.
– The CSE said that, in all 12 of the soft drinks it tested, toxins including lindane
and DDT were found. If ingested over long periods, these chemicals could lead to
cancer and failure of the immune system. Similar tests on US colas found no such
residues.

11. CSE: Background
– Set up in 1980.
A public-interest research institute.
– Policy research and public awareness.
On water, forest management, air pollution, climate change, industry, health.

12. Pollution Monitoring Laboratory
– Set up in 2000, with state of the art equipment for pesticide residue,
heavy metal and air pollution monitoring.
– Was set it up to:
a. respond to community requests:
(endosulfan case in Kerala)
b. to investigate issues of public health concern:
air pollution monitoring, water (fluoride), bottled water (pesticides).
– Conspiracy of silence in data. Need science for ecological security.
Need information publicly.
– Concerns our health. Our bodies. Our children.

13. Endosulfan: confirmed by ICMR
– 2001: villagers from Padre, Kerala
write to CSE. Mysterious diseases.

14. Endosulfan: confirmed by ICMR
– CSE lab finds endosulfan in human blood, tissue, food, water,
fish…
– Industry fights back. Hires “accredited” lab. Says no endosulfan
found.
– 10 months later, NHRC asks ICMR.
– ICMR collects blood samples of children. Confirms endosulfan.
Says that it is possible “causative factor” for high reproductive,
neurological and congenital abnormalities
in village.
– Kerala government bans pesticide spraying. Industry still fighting.

15. Why study soft drinks?
– 2002: Looking at pesticides in drinking water. Collected samples
from Delhi colonies.
No visible trend as area very big.
– Decided to look at bottled water.
Detected pesticides, so looked at source.
– Collected samples of groundwater
in and around bottling plants…

16. Found pesticides…
– Because groundwater used by companies for bottling.
Profile matched.

17. What happened?
– Regulations for pesticide residues in bottle water existed. But not
quantified.
– Post-CSE study:
– July 18, 2003: government issued notification for revised norms:
Individual pesticide: 0.0001 mg/l
Total pesticide: 0.0005 mg/l
– Implemented from January 1, 2004.
– Most companies are adhering to new norms, says BIS.

18. Why ‘EU’ standards for water?
– Pesticides are contaminants in water. There is no trade-off
between nutrition-poison.
– WHO says pesticides are “tolerable daily intake” not “acceptable
daily intake”.
– Cannot afford contamination. Have to prevent it with tough
standards.
– Also need easy to use standards – single residues + multiple
residues. Not each pesticide, different standard

19. Two giants of the corporate world

20. Soft drinks: what did we find?
– Same pesticides as bottled water:
DDT, lindane, chlorpyrifos, malathion.
– Same level as bottled water.
– But poorer (in fact non-existent)
regulations compared to
bottled water
Same as bottled water
Same pesticides, same groundwater
30 times
36 times
36.4 times
Average
Coca-Cola India
Average
PepsiCo India
Average
Bottled water,
all brands

21. No pesticides in US bottles
– Same pesticides are used in US.
– In a 2000 total diet study,
Food and Drug Administration found
five most frequently observed
chemicals:
DDT, malathion, chlorphyrifos,
endosulfan and dieldrin.
– But not found in US soft drinks
Centre for Science and Environment
Double standard
Global giants
• Checked for pesticides in bottles
manufactured and sold in US. None found.

22. Key issues
– Pesticide contamination is growing. Even soft drinks contain pesticides.
Need a stringent policy for safe and wise use of pesticides.
– Pesticides found in soft drinks pose a long-term health hazard as they are
above standards.
A cocktail of different pesticides found.
– Regulations for pesticide residues in soft drinks do not exist. Is that
acceptable?
– Water used by this industry as raw material not regulated. Not paid for. Is
this right?

23. – The protests sprouted from political, nutritional, or environmental
concerns. In 2003, the Pudussery panchayat in Palakkad district
where the Coca Cola's Plachimada plant is situated, refused to
renew the Coca Cola license, saying the plant was depleting ground
water in the region. But the license was renewed after a court
intervention. The company denied that it is responsible for
shortages, claiming that lower than usual rainfall is to blame. The
Kerala government said it found no trace of dangerous levels of
cadmium after a BBC allegation last year.

24. Cola companies respond….
– August 5 (12 noon): CSE releases study
– August 5 (4 pm): Pepsi-Coke joint press conference rejecting our study; say we
are not capable of doing this research; they have tested; they know that
they are safe…
– August 8: Pepsi file defamation suit case against CSE. Coke case not accepted
by SC (withdraws case after we file counter in November)
– August 21: Government releases its test report. Confirms 3 pesticides, in
smaller quantities. But uses phrase: drinks “safe”: meet existing packaged
drinking water standards (which were already changed because they were not safe).
– August 22: sets up Joint Parliamentary Committee (4th in India) to investigate
matter.

25. “We are safe: Aamir drinks it”

26. Agenda for change: session 1
1. To set standards for soft drinks (ongoing.. BIS standards/Health
ministry standards…companies fighting).
– standards for pesticide residues;
– standards for caffeine/pH
2. July 15, 2004: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) finalised draft
standards for finished products.
3. July 27, 2004: Ministry of Health sets standards for quality of
water to be used in the manufacture of soft drinks.

27. Water used by industry free
4. Regulate the water used in soft drink and beverage industry.
– How should this be done?
– Groundwater law says that water belongs to person who owns
the land…right to exploit. To use. To sell.
– How much water does this industry consume? Who knows?
5. Strengthen institutions and regulations for food safety.

28. Pepsi gets reprieve in
pesticide case
– In India, beverage giants Coca-Cola and Pepsi are strongly denying allegations that
their drinks have high levels of pesticide residue. Both companies strongly denied
the charges, but the issue was grabbing headlines in India. The controversy erupted
after the independent Center for Science and Environment alleged that soft drinks
sold by the Coca-Cola and Pepsi companies in India had "dangerously" high levels of
pesticide residue.
– The center's director, said that tests on popular soft drinks sold in India showed that
they do not match European or U.S. standards. "On an average, these bottles
contained over 30 times the limit, which has been set by the European Commission
for pesticide residue, it's a serious issue as long-term exposure to pesticide can be
extremely dangerous for human bodies."

29. – The center accused the two U.S. companies of not using
adequate technology to filter toxins found in India's
contaminated ground water. The center said long-term exposure
to the residues can damage the nervous and immune systems, or
cause cancer.
– For once, rivals Coca-Cola and Pepsi joined hands. The Indian
units of both companies said that the drinks sold in India match
the standards in Western countries; and, they claimed their
products are safer than other drinks. Coke and Pepsi together
account for 90 percent of the carbonated drinks sold in India.

30. – In a reprieve to the soft drink major, Pepsico India, the Supreme Court on set aside the
criminal prosecution cases against the company and its directors for the presence of
pesticide carbofuran in its soft drinks.
– The court said after the prescription of level of insecticide residue for carbonated water
from year 2009, the presence of carbofuran to the extent of 0.001 mg per litre shall not
be treated as adulterated within the meaning of the Prevention of Food Adulteration
Act, 1954.
– The court also allowed the appeals of the directors of the company against whom
criminal prosecution cases simultaneously started in the alleged complaint against the
company. According to the court, the directors of the company cannot be prosecuted on
the ground that they were at the helm of the affairs of the company at the time of such
complaint.

31. – On Oct 25, 2006, the Food Inspector of Mobile Vigilance, Kozhikode, in
Kerala had purchased 3 two-litre bottles of Pepsi. On examination of such
bottles, it was found that the it contained pesticide residue- Carbofuran, to
the extent of 0.001 mg per litre.
– It was treated as adulterated within the meaning of Rule 65 of the
Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules, 1955, and Section 2(ia)(h) of the
Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
– Then prosecution was started against the company and its directors. The
Kerala High court had refused to interfere with such prosecution
proceedings. Aggrieved, the company and its directors had filed separate
appeals in the apex court.

32. REFERENCES
– 1. Anonymous. (2004). Soft-drink giants accused over pesticides.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/feb/05/india.randeepramesh. (Accessed on
July 01, 2021).
– 2. Anonymous. (2005). Soft Drinks Pesticide Controversy in India.
https://www.icmrindia.org/Short%20Case%20Studies/Marketing%20Management/CLM
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– 3. Anonymous. (2006a). ANALYSIS OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN SOFT DRINKS.
http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/labreport2006.pdf. (Accessed on July
01, 2021).
– 4. Anonymous. (2006b). Pesticide cocktail in Coke, Pepsi brands: CSE study.
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