Pesticides in sodas rekindle Indian ire

Coke and Pepsi are not the only contaminated food products, however. A previous study by CSE found pesticide residues in many bottled water brands sold in India, and a committee set up by the Indian Ministry of Agriculture also found pesticide residues such as DDT (dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane), HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) and BHC (benzene hexachloride) in everything from milk and baby milk powder to honey, fruit jam, and fresh fruit.

The problem has as much to do with agricultural practices encouraged by the Indian government – a focus on boosting yields with pesticides and chemicals – as it does with growing demand for water. Across much of India, tube wells have lowered the water table, leaving those pesticides that have trickled into the groundwater at ever-increasing concentrations.

"It is suspected that most of our water bodies and soils are contaminated with these chemicals or with their degradation products," wrote the All India Coordinated Research Project on Pesticide Residues in their 2000 report. More than 60,000 tons of pesticides are used in India, recent studies show – 70 percent of them insecticides including DDT, a substance that spawned the modern US environmental movement because of its links to cancer and birth defects.

With protesters defacing Coke and Pepsi signs in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), burning Coke cans in Calcutta, and even force-feeding the sodas to donkeys and camels – presumably a sign that the drinks are only fit for animals – the industry has responded with a media blitz saying their products are safe.

"The soft drinks manufactured in India comply with stringent international norms and all applicable national regulations," says the Indian Soft Drink Manufacturers Association. The industry body pledged to abide by new standards that have been drafted, but not "notified" – that is, not enforceable – by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

"Ultimately, the onus is on manufacturers to clean up the pesticide residues which are coming in the agricultural products and the water supply," says Deepak Jolly, a senior spokesman for the Indian affiliate of Coca-Cola. "We say, let the government come up with notified standards [of pesticide residues]. There are no notified standards now. But we are confident that we will not only meet them, but we will exceed them [in promoting safety]."

In the meantime, some of the market is already shifting away. Government canteens and schools have already banned Coke and Pepsi in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab. Karnataka imposed a partial ban, and Kerala has completely embargoed the sale and manufacture of the drinks.

Rajeev Bhargava, the political scientist says that Coke and Pepsi have a much tougher battle than cleaning up the pesticide residues. They must reverse a perception that these cola superpowers are more interested in profits than in customer safety.

"A lot of people would say, 'Would they dare market a product with such high levels of pesticides in foreign countries?' And the answer is clearly, no," says Mr. Bhargava. "My guess is that public memory is short and colas will be back, but they must bring their Indian house in order."

Page: 1 | 2