Lok Sabha Question No. 1001 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-04
Subject: Chemicals in Soft Drinks
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: PRATAPRAO GANPATRAO JADHAV

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1001 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH DECEMBER, 2015

## CHEMICALS IN SOFT DR INKS

## 1001. SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  the  alleged  practice  by  certain  soft companies using harmful toxic chemicals in soft drinks beyond the permissible limits;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with 308 †Original notice of the question received in Hindi. the names of such chemicals used and the action taken by the Government against the adulter soft drinks manufacturers during each of the last three years and th e current year;
- (c) the details of permissible limits of such chemicals in soft/energy drinks prescrib Government; and
- (d)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  strict  compliance  of  the  regulations  laid  d respect of soft/energy drinks in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

- (a)  &  (b): Enforcement  of  Food  Safety  and  Standards  (FSS)  Act,  2006  and  regulations thereunder primarily rests with State/UT Governments. While consolidated data on food samples collected,  analysed,  found  adulterated/misbranded,  cases  launched  and  convictions/pen imposed and collected have been compiled by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of In se parate data only in respect of soft drinks has not been compiled.
- (c) : Permissible limits of contaminants for soft drink and carbonated water are prescrib Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011. Details are annexed.
- (d): Presence of contaminants beyond permissible levels in food products including soft dri a violation of the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 andattracts penal action under the Act. R gular surveillance, monitoring and sampling of food  products  are  undertaken  by  the  State/UT  Governments. FSSAI  has  also  requested Commissioners  of  Food  Safety  of  all  States  and  UTs  to  undertake  periodical  inspection monitoring of major fruit and vege table markets, soft drinks and ready to serve beverages t check the use of pesticides in food items.

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## Annexure

|   Sr. No. | Article of Food                                                                       | Name of Contaminants                                                                                                                                                                                                                |   Maximum limits (Parts per by weight) |
|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|         1 | Concentrated soft drinks (but including concentrates used manufacture of soft drinks) | not in the Lead                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |                                  0.5   |
|         2 | Fruit and vegetable juice tomato juice, but not including lime and lemon juice)       | (including juice Lead                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                  1     |
|         3 | Concentrates used in the manufacture of soft drinks, lime juice and lemon juice       | Lead                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |                                  2     |
|         4 | Soft drinks excluding concentrates Carbonated water                                   | and Copper                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                                  7     |
|         5 | Carbonated water                                                                      | Copper                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |                                  1.5   |
|         6 | concentrates for soft drinks                                                          | Copper                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |                                 20     |
|         7 | Soft drink intended for consumption dilution except carbonated water                  | after Arsenic                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                  0.5   |
|         8 | Carbonated water                                                                      | Arsenic                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |                                  0.25  |
|         9 | Carbonated water                                                                      | D.D.T. (Singly), D.D.D. (Singly), D.D.E. (Singly), Endosulfan A & B, Endosulfan - Sulphate, Malathion, Chlorpyrifos and Hexachlorocyclehexane and its isomers viz., Alpha isomer, Beta Isomer, Gamma Isomer (Lindane), Delta isomer |                                  0.001 |