Lok Sabha Question No. 5062 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-27
Subject: Soft Drinks Manufactured by MNCs
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5062 ANSWERED ON 27 TH  MARCH, 2018

## SOFT DRINKS MANUFACTURED BY MNCs

## 5062.   SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  cleared  the  licence  for  a  certain  US  based  MNC  to  launch  a  new category  of  soft  drink  to  match  the  local  products  in  popularity  and  price  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  packaged  aerated  drinks  market  in  India  involves  a  turnover  of  Rs.  22000  crore  per year,  of  which  the  locally  manufactured  Indian  soft  drinks  sector  comprises  12%  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (c) whether of late plenty of questions have been raised about the adverse effect of consumption of soft drinks manufactured and sold in India by the MNCs and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether a strong criticism is emanating from certain quarters that the soft drinks manufactured and sold in India by the MNCs contain injurious chemicals and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the MNC soft drinks products are subjected to laboratory tests by the Government in order to rule out the presence of injurious chemicals and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SADHAVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a)  to  (e): Licenses  under  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Act,  2006  are  being  issued  to  Food  Business Operators  to  carry  out  or  commence  any  food  business  for  those  food  products  whose  standards  are prescribed under FSS Act, Rules and Regulations made thereunder or the products which are specifically approved by Food Authority.

Standards  of  Carbonated  water  have  been  prescribed  under  sub-regulation  of  Food  Safety  and Standards  (Food  Products  Standards  and  Food  Additives)  Regulations,  2011.  Permissible  limits  of contaminants such as lead, copper, arsenic etc., for soft drink and carbonated water are prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.  All manufacturers of soft drinks /carbonated water have to meet the prescribed standards and are responsible for compliance of the same.

Further,  in  terms  of  conditions  of  license  under  Food  Safety  and  Standards  (Licensing  and Registration  of  Food  Businesses)  Regulations,  2011,  Food  Business  Operators  shall  ensure  testing  of relevant  chemical  and/or  microbiological  contaminants  in  food  products  in  accordance  with  these regulations as frequently as required on basis of historical data and risk assessment to ensure production and delivery of safe food through their own or National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited/ Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified labs at least once in six months.

Also, to ensure compliance of the prescribed standards, random samples of food items including soft drinks are drawn by the State Food Safety Officers for testing. In cases where samples are found to be non-conforming to the prescribed standards and norms under Food Safety and Standards Act and Rules and Regulations made thereunder, recourse is taken to the penal provisions as provided in the FSS Act, 2006. No separate information is available from States/UTs about  samples of soft drinks testing and found nonconforming

As per Annual Survey of Industries, 2014-15, conducted by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme  Implementation,  the  output  of  the  registered  food  processing industries (units/factories) in the sector of Manufacture of soft drinks; production of mineral waters and other bottled waters including manufacture of aerated drinks was estimated at Rs.26314.52 crores in 201415.

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