The JPC on soft drinks has upheld findings of CSE that 12 branded products of Pepsi and Coca-Cola it examined did contain pesticide residues and asked the government to formulate stringent quality norms for carbonated drinks.
The director of the Centre for Science and Environment, Sunita Narayan on Friday told the joint parliamentary committee probing the cola row that pesticide level in water for soft drinks in India was high
The Centre for Science and Environment which alleged that soft drinks brands in India contain high levels of pesticides, is scheduled to make a detailed presentation before the Joint Parliamentary Committee which may meet on October 9 and 10.
Centre for Science and Environment on Wednesday said PepsiCo's 'Mountain Dew' contained caffeine despite being a non-cola drink
Accusing Pepsi and Coke of trying to escape from their responsibilities, a leading consumer organisation, the Consumer Unity and Trust Society, said it would move the apex consumer court, seeking the withdrawal of soft-drinks and a ban on their sale.
The government has decided not to serve the members of Parliamnet any of these drinks.
The pollution board said that the situation will improve further by Sunday if favourable conditions prevail.
Softdrink major Pepsi Co on Tuesday withdrew from the Delhi high court the petition filed by it challenging the controversial report of Centre for Science and Environment
The Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, and Central Food Laboratory, Kolkata, were on Monday asked by JPC to explain why their sample test results on pesticide residues in soft drinks were at variance
Uttam Khobragade, commissioner, Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration, said MSFDA found the presence of a particular pesticide in four of PepsiCo's products, in a recent test.
The government on Thursday gave a clean chit to 12 soft drink brands, saying that their samples tested were 'well within the safety limits' prescribed for packaged drinking water at present.
Stung by the "pesticides report" on colas by CSE, Pepsi on Friday filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court seeking to restrain the NGO from publishing the report, while asking for an independent evaluation of the "damaging" report.
Close on the heels of a major health scare on finding pesticides in bottled drinking water, CSE claimed that the bottled soft drinks owned by PepsiCo and Coke also failed the same health standards testing positive for pesticides.
'We have often heard the mythical argument that patents block access to life-saving drugs, but only 5% of medicines from multinational companies are under patent protection in India.' 'Where these patented products are beyond the reach of Indian patients, the companies have programmes to facilitate access to their drugs, for free or for a fraction of the price,' points out Ranjana Smetacek, former director general, Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India.
Coca-Cola India said on Monday it complies with all "relevant EU norms" while manufacturing its bottled water brand Kinley.\n\n\n\n
To justify that farmers must burn if they are not paid cash incentive is doing injustice to them and to the lungs of the children of the country, notes Sunita Narain.
'You can still acquire the COVID-19 virus even if you are vaccinated.' 'But if you develop the disease, (after being vaccinated) the likelihood is that it will be mild.' 'It just makes sense to continue to take precautions, because you may be around a lot of unvaccinated people.'
'The BJP will get the lion's share of the Opposition vote. I would give the Congress-Left around 15 per cent.'
A number of cities, including Chennai, are water-scarce.
The government on Monday banned use of potassium bromate as a food additive following a CSE study that found its presence in bread as causing cancer.
As people get rich, they end up losing the health advantage of food availability.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Environment Minister Gopal Rai visited the Eidgah in Mustafabad and interacted with locals besides taking stock of facilities being provided by the government at relief camps.
The move comes as the intra-party feud reached climax in the ruling NCP which has been witnessing months long tussle between two factions, one led by 68-year-old Oli and Party's chairman and another led by 66-year-old 'Prachanda', also the executive chair of the party and former premier.
Even as the Uttarakhand floods are being referred to as man-made disasters, experts say such disasters are waiting to happen at places like Ooty and Munnar.
Swarms of immature pink locusts and adult yellow locusts are currrently active. Not only are fresh locusts swarms expected to arrive in the coming weeks, but even those already present in India have mated and are breeding new offspring.
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