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    VOL NO REGD NO DA 1589

Experts for ensuring public safety from pesticides in soft drinks

5/27/2004

          Environmentalists, experts and journalists urged the government to become pro-active and make stringent regulations for ensuring elimination of harmful pesticides residue in junk food and soft drinks, if any, reports BSS.
They also advised the consumers to become aware and pro-active against the presence of harmful pesticide residue in junk food and soft drinks, but free use of natural resources like water.
They made these calls at a lecture session on 'Pesticide in Pepsi and Coca-Cola in India' organized by the Forum of Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh (FEJB) at its conference room in city Wednesday.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Syed Marghub Morshed addressed the session as the chief guest.
Managing Editor of the Down to Earth, a monthly journal of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which has launched a research based campaign for stringent regulations for ensuring pesticides residue free food and drinks, Pradip Saha presented the keynote paper.
Syed Marghub Morshed said that it was the prime responsibility of the government to take adequate measures for ensuring pesticides free food and drinks for the public interest.
"The government, civil society and media should act soon against indiscriminate presence of deadly pesticides and chemical residues in junk food and soft drinks," he said.
"The consumers should be too aware of their consumption pattern, specially keeping in mind that it had adverse effects on health and proper growth of children", he added.
Pradip Saha said that all samples of Pepsi and Coca-Cola, which were tested in the CSE and public laboratories in India, found presence of deadly pesticide residues.
He said that the pesticides, which were found in those soft drinks samples, were DDT, Lindane, Chlorphyrifos and Malathion pose long-term health hazards.
He told that presence of those pesticides in Indian samples was all high compared to European Union (EU) standard. In Indian Coca Cola, the presence of pesticides was 45 times, in Fanta 43 times, in Mirinda orange 39 times, in Limca 30 times, in Pepsi 37 times, in 7Up 33 times, in Blue Pepsi 29 times, in Mountain Dew 28 times, in Thumps Up 22 times, in Diet Coke times 14 times and in Sprite 11 times higher than EU standard.
He said these 'life style products' do not have any nutrition value.
Pradip said the producers of those soft drinks maintain double standard for maximising their profit.
"The Pepsi and Coca-Cola samples, manufactured and sold in the United States, were, however, tested and found free from pesticides residue."
"None, including the governments, even do not think to challenge those companies as they are big names."
He added that the ground water used in these industries as raw materials was not regulated and these companies did not pay for water.

 

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