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Coca-Cola Appeals New Label Laws
Ratna Bhusan
Times of India
July 27, 2005
NEW DELHI: The ambiguity continues over declaration of contents on
soft drink labels. Coke & Pepsi, filed an appeal in Supreme Court
against the Rajasthan High Court deadline of August 3 which orders
them to disclose contents of soft drinks, including the permissible
levels of pesticides and chemicals, on bottle labels.
The court had ordered carbonated beverage manufacturers to disclose
composition and contents of soft drinks on all bottles, packages or
containers of soft drinks.
While cola firms argue that they are being unfairly singled out for
alleged pesticide content, consumer rights organisations see this
as a dampener to consumers. Sunita Narain, director at CSE said, "It
is unfortunate that these firms are not agreeing to disclose contents
of soft drinks, despite the Joint Parliamentary Committee report".
Added an industry source, "If Coke & Pepsi say their beverages do
not pose any health hazards, why can't they declare this on labels?
Resorting to endless petitions and appeals won't help any one's cause."
The pesticide controversy has been raging since two years, when the
CSE revealed study findings that 12 soft drink brands contain residues
of toxic pesticides. The CSE findings triggered a national debate
on safety of cola consumption.
Faced with a negative fallout in terms of sales and imagery, both
firms have joined hands and denied that their beverages are unsafe
for consumption.
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