Health minister Sushma Swaraj's announcement that pesticides were found in 18 out of 24 soft drink samples tested by government laboratories establishes that the pesticides are present in soft drinks in higher levels than those stipulated by the European Union as well as the government own recently notified bottled water norms. This is clearly a cause for concern and points to the weak and non-existent regulations that exist in the country for this 'food' industry.

The government tests found the pesticides that the CSE lab had detected in its tests, although it says that it found these residues in lower levels than those detected by CSE.

Although the levels were not as high as the samples tested by CSE, this could be due to several reasons, such as the time of year in which they were manufactured and the manner in which the samples were collected.

Pesticide contamination levels could vary depending on the seasons during which pesticides are used, and the dilution levels which depend on rainfall. CSE's samples are available for further checking, in case of doubts. CSE also awaits to see a final copy of the government report and to compare the methodologies used to understand the differences in the data.

But what is evident is that the companies' claim that 'no pesticides' were found in their samples checked by reputed and accredited labs in India and abroad was false. It will be recalled that the companies that produced data to show that water samples source and treated as well as the few bottles tested -- were found to have pesticides below the detectable levels. These companies also maintained that they were meeting 'global norms.' For the available information with CSE, it is clear that the pesticide residues of DDT and lindane detected by the government were, in some cases, even higher than what was found by CSE.

This would clearly mean that the companies would not even meet the USEPA and even the weak guidelines of WHO for these deadly pesticides.

In this context, CSE is frankly surprised if the attempt is to say that the soft drinks are safe, because 'they are well within the current packaged drinking water norms.' Government is well aware that the current norms are weak and it is for this very reason that it already amended and notified new and far more stringent standards.

In the same statement, the minister has accepted that the government regulations for soft drinks are weak and virtually non-existent for pesticide residues. CSE expected more concern for public health from the government. It expected the government to clearly indicate that its report on the 24 samples is a cause of concern and points towards the issues raised by CSE and therefore, it is working towards a tighter regulatory framework for food, which takes into account public health.

CSE welcomes the announcement by the minister that the newly notified standards for bottled water (following EU norms) would be made applicable to soft drinks from the same date (January 1, 2004). But why then does it sound that the minister is giving the companies a 'clean chit?'