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In a significant move, perhaps the first of its kind in the world, the Bureau of Indian Standards has issued 'draft' standards for pesticide residues in ready-to-serve non-alcoholic beverages including soft drinks.
The comprehensive draft standards also propose limits for caffeine, PH value (acidity) and toxic substances like copper, aluminium and alkalinity.
"We have put the draft standards in the public domain only for comments from the people. We will not be setting the standards; that work is under the purview of the ministry of health," Nirmal Singh, director general, BIS, told PTI.
He said after the comments have been received upto August 31, 2004, the standards will again be taken up for discussion by the sectional committee on carbonated beverages.
Once the draft has been finalised and approved by the food and agriculture division council of the BIS, the proposed standards will be recommended to the health ministry, he said.
The final decision on the standards and whether they have to be made mandatory will be taken by the health ministry, he said, adding the new draft is in line with the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee which looked into the issue.
However, the scope of the standard does not include medical beverages, pure fruit/vegetable juices, or those containing or derived from dairy products.
The BIS draft comes at a time when the sub-committee on pesticide residues in health ministry has favoured monitoring pesticides' levels in soft drinks with reference to use of sugar in their manufacture for another year.