 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Pressure mounts on US cola firms as Indian states ban soft drinks
New Delhi, Aug 6, 2006 Pressure mounted on US firms Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Sunday as two more Indian states banned the sale of their soft drinks in government offices and schools after environmentalists claimed they had high pesticide levels, reports said. The bans announced by the western coastal state of Gujarat and the central province of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday followed those by the northern states of Rajasthan and Punjab last week. "We have decided to stop the sale of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks in all 400 government-run colleges, most of which are in the urban areas of the state," said Gujarat Education Minister Anandiben Patel. All government-run schools had also been notified about the ban, with the decision coming into effect on Monday, Patel told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. Private schools would set their own policies, Patel added. The central state of Madhya Pradesh announced a similar ban on carbonated drinks in government offices and educational institutions. "We will ban sale of colas in canteens at government offices and educational institutes," Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, PTI reported. The orders on this will be issued soon, he added. The bans follow a report by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment last week that said tests it conducted on 57 samples of 11 soft drinks produced by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo showed high pesticide levels. The report was a follow-up to its findings three years ago that 12 of the companies' soft drinks had such high pesticide levels they could lead to cancer. Coca-Cola and Pepsico said in statements Friday that the drinks were safe. Last week, Rajasthan state banned Coke and Pepsi in all state schools and the legislative assembly of neighbouring Punjab state removed the soft drinks from its in-house dining menu. India's Supreme Court last week gave the two firms six weeks to reveal the ingredients of their products. Some legislators in the federal parliament have called for a total ban on sales of soft drinks. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Dirt, rocks and all the stuff we stand on firmly
French heatwave killed 112 - health officials
Paris, Aug 3, 2006 The heatwave that struck most of France in the second half of July was a factor in the deaths of 112 people, according to figures Thursday from the Health Monitoring Institute (INVS). |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
