Thursday, August 03, 2006

Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola Matlab Pesticides

The Telepgraph, Kolkata, reports :
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) today said soft drinks continue to hold cocktails of pesticides and charged the health ministry with stalling efforts to set limits.

Releasing the findings of a new study, it said the levels of pesticide residues in some samples tested this year are higher than those observed in samples three years ago.

Centre for Science and Environment's report is here, and its Press Release is here.

The CSE has given a wake-up call to the Indian government to notify the regulatory limits for pesticide residues and caffeine in soft drinks. This has still not been done. This important matter is hanging between various committees. Strange are indeed the ways governments functions.

What I really find ridiculous, personally, are the endorsement by top Indian movie stars from Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan to Rani Mukherjee, of various brands of soft drinks, for money. Even if one of them came forward and says that he or she will stop endorsement of the soft drinks, as presence of pesticides have been proved in them, it will be great. But I know, it will not happen.

Will at least government instruct the soft drinks manufacturers in India to put a statutory warning on all bottles that Drinking soft drinks may be injurious to health. Maybe that is like asking for moon.

Cross-posted to my other blog Raju's World

No comments: