The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the central government to conduct tests on samples of Pepsi and submit its report within three weeks.

Justice B D Ahmed asked Additional Solicitor General K K Sud to get the samples tested in the government laboratory.

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The direction came on a petition filed by Pepsico India Holding Pvt Ltd and its bottler Pearl Drinks, which had sought independent evaluation of the "damaging" Centre for Science and Environment report.

The petition contended that the CSE laboratory has no accredition and the methods and process adopted in preparing the report were "suspect".

Terming the CSE report as "dubious", Pepsi said the government department has acted on the report without ascertaining its correctness and directed stoppage of Pepsi's products.

Requesting the high court to direct the government not to act on the basis of the CSE report alleging presence of pesticides in seven of its products much above the permitted levels as compared to the same product in the European Union, Pepsi said there has been a barrage of media publicity disparaging its beverages. 

The petition has listed the Union ministries of health, defence and food processing as respondents.

Other respondents mentioned in the petition are Bureau of Indian Standards, CSE and its director Sunita Narain.