Action against Soft Drinks Companies for Toxic Contents in their products

Samples of food items are picked up for testing and analysis by the State/UT Food Safety Departments from time to time. Separate data about samples of soft drinks having been tested/found not conforming to specified standards, has not been compiled centrally. A study was conducted by the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIP&PH) and the National Test House (NTH), Kolkata, in which  AIIH&PH collected 4 bottles each of the cold drink brands (Sprite, Coca Cola, Mountain dew, Pepsi and 7 UP) and tested for heavy metals antimony, lead, chromium and cadmium and DEHP. The study takes bottled (packaged) water as the reference point. Since a number of other substances are added while making soft drinks, its composition will be different from packaged drinking water. The details of the findings of the study are given below:

Table: 1 Heavy metals and DEHP concentrations in Sprite (soft drink)

Item description: sample of Sprite (soft drink) in bottle (4x600 ml), Batch No. /LOT No. 2926
Test Description (National Test House)	Certificate No.				Date of issue		Code No.
	NTH(ER)/CH(S)/2016/0029E				08/03/2016		1454064260750
Storage Parameters		Toxic Substance (mg/l)
		Antimony	Lead	Cadmium		chromium		DEHP
Sample in Bottle as received by the Lab.		0.015	0.007	0.003		0.015		0.016
40 deg C for 10 days.		0.019	0.009	0.006		0.016		0.019
60 deg C for 10 days		0.020	0.009	0.008		0.022		0.021
Permissible Limit		NA	NA	NA		NA		NA
Remarks Safety limits available for bottled water		0.005	0.010	0.003		0.050		0.006
Reference standards		(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1	(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1	(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1		(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1		US-EPA(2)

                             Table: 2 Heavy metals and DEHP concentrations in Mountain Dew (soft drink):

Item description: sample of Mountain Dew received in 4 nos (600ml)  bottles  having Batches No./Lot No. BN5255C30J15
Test Description (National Test House)	Certificate no.				Date of Issue		Code No.
	NTH(ER)/CH(S)/2016/0029C				08/03/2016		1454064260750
Storage Parameters		Toxic Substance (mg/L)
		Antimony	Lead	Cadmium		chromium		DEHP
Sample in Bottle as received by the Lab.		0.012	0.006	0.016		0.017		0.014
40 deg C for 10 days.		0.018	0.007	0.019		0.017		0.016
60 deg C for 10 days		0.021	0.009	0.020		0.018		0.018
Permissible Limit		NA	NA	NA		NA		NA
Remarks Safety limits available for bottled water		0.005	0.010	0.003		0.050		0.006
Reference standards		(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1	(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1	(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1		(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1		US-EPA(2)

Table: 3 Heavy metals and DEHP concentrations in Pepsi (soft drink):

Item description: sample of Pepsi (soft drink): received in bottle (4x600 ml), having Batch No./Lot No.5255C06J15
Test Description (National Test House)	Certificate no.				Date of Issue		Code No.
	NTH(ER)/CH(S)/2016/0029A				08/03/2016		1454064260750
Storage Parameters		Toxic Substance (mg/L)
		Antimony	Lead	Cadmium		chromium		DEHP
Sample in Bottle as received by the Lab.		0.029	0.011	0.002		0.017		0.028
40 deg C for 10 days.		0.032	0.012	0.006		0.019		0.033
60 deg C for 10 days		0.043	0.012	0.008		0.019		0.036
Permissible Limit		NA	NA	NA		NA		NA
Remarks Safety limits available for bottled water		0.005	0.010	0.003		0.050		0.006
Reference standards		(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1	(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1	(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1		(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1		US-EPA(2)

Table: 4 Heavy metals and DEHP concentrations in 7 UP (soft drink):

Item description: sample of 7 UP(soft drink): received in bottle (600 ml), having Batch /Lot No.BN5255C23115
Test Description (National Test House)	Certificate no.				Date of Issue		Code No.
	NTH(ER)/CH(S)/2016/0029B				08/03/2016		1454064260750
Storage Parameters		Toxic Substance (mg/L)
		Antimony	Lead	Cadmium		chromium		DEHP
Sample in Bottle as received by the Lab.		0.011	0.004	0.012		0.017		0.018
40 deg C for 10 days.		0.011	0.006	0.018		0.022		0.020
60 deg C for 10 days		0.023	0.006	0.020		0.022		0.020
Permissible Limit		NA	NA	NA		NA		NA
Remarks Safety limits available for bottled water		0.005	0.010	0.003		0.050		0.006
Reference standards		(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1	(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1	(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1		(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1		US-EPA(2)

                            Table: 5 Heavy metals and DEHP concentrations in Coca Cola (soft drink):

Item description: sample of Coca Cola(soft drink): received in bottle  (600 ml) having Batch /Lot No.1263 (3 Bottles) & B.No. 1258 (1 Bottle)
Test Description (National Test House)	Certificate no.				Date of Issue		Code No.
	NTH(ER)/CH(S)/2016/0029D				08/03/2016		1454064260750
Storage Parameters		Toxic Substance (mg/L)
		Antimony	Lead	Cadmium		chromium		DEHP
Sample in Bottle as received by the Lab.		0.006	0.009	0.011		0.026		0.026
40 deg C for 10 days.		0.014	0.011	0.013		0.032		0.028
60 deg C for 10 days		0.019	0.012	0.013		0.033		0.034
Permissible Limit		NA	NA	NA		NA		NA
Remarks Safety limits available for bottled water		0.005	0.010	0.003		0.050		0.006
Reference standards		(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1	(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1	(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1		(BIS(IS 13428:2005,    IS 14543: 2004)1		US-EPA(2)

1.         Bureau of Indian standards: Indian Standard Packaged natural mineral water specification (second revision) first reprint December 2006, Ics 13.060.20,c bls 200s Bureau of Indian Standards, Manak bhavan, 9 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110002 is 13428: 2005

2.         United States Environmental Protection Agency 2009, national Primary Drinking Water Regulations EPA 816-F-09-004 May 2009.

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Sh Faggan Singh Kulaste stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.

Russia banned from London World Championships - IAAF

Cap-d'Ail (France), Feb 7 (AFP) Russia will miss August's World Athletics Championships in London after their doping ban was extended, world governing body president Sebastien Coe said.

Coe said Russia, whose 15-month ban from athletics was prolonged at the IAAF's Council meeting in Cap d'Ail near Monaco, could not be reintegrated into the sport before November.

Double Olympic 1500-metre champion Coe was speaking after the IAAF Council approved the Taskforce's recommendation that Russia was "not ready for reinstatement".

Russia has been barred from international competition since November 2015 following a damaging report alleging that state-sponsored doping was rife in the country.

The ban had already been extended in March and then June 2016, preventing Russia's athletes from competing at the Rio Olympics.

The Taskforce, which was set up to oversees Russia's reintegration into international athletics, produced recommendations detailing a roadmap to reinstatement.

But while "acknowledging several positive developments" at recent meetings in Moscow with RusAF, the Russian Athletics Federation, and new Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov, the Taskforce also "pointed to some negative developments" including "unhelpful public comments recently made by some Russian sporting officials".

It said that RusAF "continues to face practical and legal difficulties in enforcing provisional doping bans and there continues to be very limited testing of Russian track and field athletes at the national level as well as troubling incidents at what testing is taking place".

The roadmap to reinstatement specifies that "testing of Russian athletes must take place without further incidents or difficulties" and that RusAF takes "demonstrable objective and practical steps to cultivate the clean sport movement".

Rate hopes fuel Budget rally, Sensex hits 4-month high

Mumbai, Feb 6 (PTI) The Budget-induced optimism got a leg to stand on as the Sensex today pushed higher for the fourth day by scoring 199 points to close at 28,439 -- a 4-month high -- after hopes built up that RBI might go in for a rate cut at the Wednesday's policy meet.

The NSE Nifty retook the crucial 8,800-mark today.

At its last policy review in December, RBI in a surprise move had decided to leave rates unchanged, but this time a lower retail inflation and fiscal discipline as shown in the Budget have prompted calls for RBI to remain accommodative.

Global leads aligned as most Asian shares ended higher, tracking weekend gains in the US on better-than-expected jump in US jobs and a move by President Donald Trump to cut back financial regulations, accelerating buying pace by investors.

The 30-share Sensex ended up 198.76 points, or 0.70 per cent at 28,439.28, its highest closing since September 23 last year when it had closed at 28,668.22. Intra-day, it sprang to a high of 28,487.28.

The gauge had rallied 584.56 points in the previous three sessions after the presentation of the Budget on February 1.

The NSE Nifty regained control of the 8,800-mark and added 60.10 points, or 0.69 per cent, at 8,801.05 at the close. On September 23, the index finished at 8,831.55.

"Markets continued to be buoyant on the expectation of rate cut by RBI and positive global cues. We are seeing continuation of rally in the rate sensitive sectors led by reality, banks and FMCG which were also supported by Budget related sops," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services.

Major European indices stayed in the positive zone, too.

Data showed that foreign institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 353.84 crore last Friday, adding to the level of optimism.

The rupee appreciated for the 9th straight day to trade at a fresh 2-1/2 month high of 67.14 (intra-day) against the dollar, keeping the overall mood upbeat.

A good 22 stocks in the 30-share Sensex pack advanced while 8 turned lower.

Sun Pharma led the charge by surging 4.20 per cent while ICICI Bank zoomed 3.18 per cent.

Adani Ports, Axis Bank, Hero MotoCorp, ITC Ltd, HUL, GAIL, NTPC, Asian Paints, Wipro, RIL, Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and L&T supported the ongoing bull run.

BSE realty jumped the most (up 1.90 per cent) followed by FMCG (1.28 per cent), healthcare (1.27 per cent) and consumer durables (1.27 per cent).

Broader markets remained in the green too, with the mid-cap index advancing 1.10 per cent and small-cap 0.88 per cent.

Realty stocks continued their upward journey, buoyed by the infrastructure status to affordable housing in the Budget 2017-18 to encourage investment in the segment, which offered tax sops to developers to complete unsold inventories.

In the realty space, HDIL soared 7.80 per cent, Godrej Properties surged 3.32 per cent, Prestige Estates Projects 2.83 per cent and DLF 1.32 per cent.

Asian shares, led by Hong Kong, closed higher.

In Europe, London's FTSE was up 0.23 per cent and Paris CAC 40 0.14 per cent while Frankfurt edged down 0.14 per cent.

SC to give verdict in one week in Jaya DA case

New Delhi, Feb 6 (PTI) In a verdict that can have implications for Sasikala, who is set to take over as chief minister, the Supreme Court today indicated it could give its judgement on the appeals challenging the acquittal of late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case, also involving her.

A bench headed by Justice P C Ghose asked senior advocate Dushyant Dave representing Karnataka to wait for one week after he made a mention before it regarding the delay in pronouncement of the verdict.

Dave said that they have been waiting for the judgement for quite some time and requested the bench to pronounce it soon.

The apex court had last year, before the demise of Jayalalithaa, reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the order of her acquittal of the Karnataka High Court.

Sasikala, a shadow of Jayalalithaa for nearly three decades, is set to become the chief Minister of Tamil Nadu as the AIADMK Legislature Party yesterday elected her as its leader, over a month after she became the party's powerful General Secretary.

In case the Supreme Court upholds the lower court order convicting Sasikala and others, she may have to step down from the post she is likely to take oveR.

Sasikala elected leader by AIADMK MLAs, set to be CM

Chennai, Feb 5 (PTI) V K Sasikala, shadow of Jayalalithaa for nearly three decades, was today set to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu as the AIADMK Legislature Party elected her as its leader, over a month after she became the party's powerful General Secretary.

She is expected to be sworn-in as the third Chief Minister of the state within two months on Tuesday.

The name of 62-year-old Sasikala as AIADMK Legislature Party leader was proposed by Chief Minister O Panneerselvam at a meeting of party MLAs at the party headquarters here.

The MLAs unanimously elected her as their leader, enabling her to take over the reins from Panneerselvam.

Soon after, 'Chinnamma' Sasikala drove to the party headquarters where she was greeted by Panneerselvam and senior party leaders.

Prior to the party meeting on a day of fast-pased developments, Panneerselvam visited the Poes Garden Residence to meet Sasikala.

"It was Panneerselvam who had first persuaded me to become the Chief Minister and General Secretary as well when Jayalalithaa passed away," Sasikala told party legislators in her acceptance speech.

She said the development has come "shattering the expectation of our political opponents that there will be a split in the party after the demise of our Amma (Jayalalithaa)."

Sasikala had a special word of praise for the Panneerselvam, stating "whenever the party faced tough times and whenever there were difficulties in Amma becoming the Chief Minister, it was our dear brother Panneerselvam who has been loyal."

Sasikala said the AIADMK would strive for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu.

With her elevation, which comes over a month after she took charge as AIADMK General Secretary on December 31, Sasikala carries on the legacy of Jayalalithaa, who also held the two posts allowing her to wield complete control on the government and the party. .