Lead and other heavy metals – like cadmium and chromium – have been found in the samples of five different soft drinks manufactured by two major multinational companies in India, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
The samples were contaminated because of toxins that had leached from the bottles in which they were packaged.
Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste said in a written reply:
Samples of five different cold drinks – Sprite, Mountain Dew, 7UP, Pepsi and Coca-Cola – were selected by the stratified sampling method and the samples were submitted to National Test House (in Kolkata) for testing.
He said this in a reply to a question on whether the government-commissioned study by the Drug Technical Advisory Board had found five different toxins in aerated drinks produced by two major multinational companies in India.
Giving details of the study conducted by Kolkata-based All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIH&PH), Kulaste said that the AIIH&PH had entered into a pact with the National Test House (NTH) for testing and estimation.
According to reports, in April last year, the Health Ministry is learnt to have directed the AIIH&PH to conduct a study on leaching of toxins from PET bottles – used for packaging pharmaceutical preparations, cold drinks, alcohol, juices and other beverages.
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