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Our Bureau

Hyderabad , Aug 11

Vimta Labs, a Hyderabad-based drug analysis and research company, has said that it will submit a detailed report on the question of pesticide residues in Coca-Cola soon.

"We are analysing a good number of samples of the beverage we have collected. The data generated will be given to the client and it is for them to decide on what to do. We are bound by client confidentiality," said Dr G.V. Prasad, President (Planning & Business Development).

Vimta Labs has 22 mass spectrometers, which give accurate figures of the presence of pesticide residues to as low as parts per trillion (ppt), against the current regulatory requirements of parts per billion (ppb), he told Business Line.

The company has been carrying out testing and evaluation for the cola company's range of products, including beverage, packaged water and the raw materials used for the past few years, against both national and international standards for pesticide residues.

Dr Prasad said: "Finished products of any soft drink has no standards for pesticide residues in India. They are in draft form and not yet notified. Raw materials or intermediate used in the soft drink can have and are clearly defined."

Therefore, given the fact that the colas contain around 10 per cent sugar base, 89 per cent water and a miniscule of the patented concentrate, there is a possibility of the presence of pesticides in them. The critical question to answer is whether the residues are within set limits.

Dr Prasad said that Vimta Labs has set up facilities spread over 200,000 sq ft on the outskirts of Hyderabad, conforming to global standards in the Genome Valley. Partly functional now, it would be fully operational by August-end 2006.

More Stories on : Outlook | Beverages | Standards & Benchmarks | Pesticides

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