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myths & facts
Since the 5th of August, 2003, a local NGO – the Center for Science and Environment (CSE) – has been calling the quality and safety of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo products in India into question. These allegations are based on tests carried out by CSE’s internal, unaccredited laboratory, the Pollution Monitoring Laboratory.
Our plants use a multiple barrier system to remove potential contaminants and unwanted natural substances including iron, sulfur, heavy metals as well as pesticides. Our products in India are safe and are tested regularly to ensure that they meet the same rigorous standards we maintain across the world.
The results of these allegations have been consumer confusion, a significant impact on sales, and the erosion of international investor confidence in the Indian business sector.
The situation calls for the development of national sampling and testing protocols for soft drinks, and an end to sensationalising, unsubstantiated allegations. This will require the co-operation of all parties concerned in the interests of Indian consumers, and all companies with significant investments in the Indian economy.
The facts versus the fiction False statements made in recent weeks have led to false perceptions by
Indian consumers:
| Myth |
Coca-Cola products in India contain pesticide residues that are above EU norms. |
| Fact |
Throughout all of our operations in India, stringent quality monitoring takes place covering both the
source water we use as well as our finished product. We test for traces of pesticide in groundwater
to the level of parts per billion. This is equivalent to one drop in a billion drops. For comparison's
sake, this would also be equivalent to measuring one second in 32 years, or less than one person in
the entire population in India. These tests require specialized equipment at accredited labs to have
accurate results. Even at these stringent miniscule levels we are well within the internationally
accepted safety norms. |
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| Myth |
In India the soft drinks industry is virtually unregulated. |
| Fact |
There are no standards for soft drinks in the US, the EU, or India. In India, water used for beverage
manufacture must conform to drinking water standards. The water used by Coca-Cola conforms to
both BIS and EU standards for drinking water and our production protocols ensure this through a
focus on process control and testing of the water used in our manufacturing process and the final
product quality. |
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| Myth |
Coca-Cola has dual standards in the production of its products, one high standard for western
countries, another for India. |
| Fact |
The soft drinks manufactured in India conform to the same high standards of quality as in the USA
and Europe. Through our globally accepted and validated manufacturing processes and Quality
Management systems, we ensure that our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are equipped to
provide the consumer the highest quality beverage each time. We stringently test our soft drinks in
India at independent, accredited and world-class laboratories both locally and internationally. |
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| Myth |
In India the soft drinks industry is virtually unregulated. |
| Fact |
There are no standards for soft drinks in the US, the EU, or India. In India, water used for beverage
manufacture must conform to drinking water standards. The water used by Coca-Cola conforms to
both BIS and EU standards for drinking water and our production protocols ensure this through a
focus on process control and testing of the water used in our manufacturing process and the final
product quality. |
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| Myth |
Coca-Cola has put out results for Kinley water only and not for their soft drinks. |
| Fact |
The results of product tests conducted by TNO Nutrition and Food Research Laboratory in the
Netherlands is conclusive and is available on The Science Behind Our Quality web page. |
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| Myth |
International companies like Coca-Cola are "colonizing" India. |
| Fact |
The Coca-Cola business in India is a local business. Our beverages in India are produced locally,
we employ thousands of Indian citizens, our product range and marketing reflect Indian tastes and
lifestyles, and we are deeply involved in the life of the local communities in which we operate. The
Coca-Cola business system directly employs approximately 10,000 local people in India. In
addition, independent studies have documented that, by providing opportunities for local enterprises,
the Coca-Cola business also generates a significant employment "multiplier effect." In India, we
indirectly create employment for more than 125,000 people in related industries through our vast
procurement, supply and distribution system. |
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| Myth |
Farmers in India are using Coca-Cola and other soft drinks as pesticides by spraying them on
their crops. |
| Fact |
Soft drinks do not act in a similar way to pesticides when applied to the ground or crops. There is no
scientific basis for this and the use of soft drinks for this purpose would be totally ineffective.
In India, as in the rest of the world, our products are world class and safe and the treated water
used to make our beverages there meets the highest international standards. |
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