Coke and Pepsi cleared in India

Government tests in India have shown that soft drinks made by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo operators there are safe to drink.

The results contradicted claims by an environmental group that the drinks contained dangerous levels of pesticide residue, the health minister said.

Sushma Swaraj told MPs that samples of the drinks had residue levels that fell “well within” Indian safety limits for bottled water, although they did not meet EU standards as had been claimed by the two companies.

The allegations had led to protests against Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in many Indian cities and even a ban on their drinks in Parliament’s cafeteria.