Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said the government was also deliberating on the issue of banning advertisements for soft drinks.

"The government is discussing with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on whether there is a provision to ban advertisement (of soft drinks). We have not taken any decision. We are just discussing it with the I&B ministry," Ramadoss said.

The Minister said state governments were authorised to undertake testing of soft drinks for pesticides and if found they could take a decision on sale of such drinks.

He said as per law, if the states found the consumption of these colas detrimental to consumers' health, they could ban the consumption of soft drinks.

The minister asserted the standards specified in India for soft drinks were on par with those in other countries. Ramadoss assured deputy chairman K Rahman Khan that he would find out whether there were reports of pesticide contents in soft drinks in European countries.

The minister said advisories had been issued to states through the Human Resource Development Ministry and he had personally written to them on the issue of contamination.

"We are trying to bring out comprehensive standards (for testing soft drinks). I am very concerned. We will be taking all steps in this regard." Ramadoss said government was trying to fix standards for water and sugar contents used in carbonated drinks.

Following reports by the JPC, which went into the whole issue, "We have notified that water used in carbonated drinks should be free from any pesticide", he said.

The onus to supply pesticide-free drinks lay with producers and if they failed to do so, they should be ready to face consequences, he said.

When members, including the Deputy Chairman, wanted to know government's reaction to the findings of pesticide residues in soft drinks by the Centre for Science and Environment, the Minister said a committee had been set up in this regard and it was likely to give its report within two weeks.

The minister cautioned people on the growing use of junk foods and said his ministry was taking a holistic approach keeping in view the health of the people.

Soft drinks, hard truths