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Kolkata may cancel Coca-Cola's trade licence
Kolkata Municipal Corporation said it will cancel Coca-Cola's trade licence if sample tests of its drinks tested positive for pesticides.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Thursday threatened to cancel the trade licence of the local bottling plant of soft drinks giant Coca-Cola if laboratory tests of samples collected tested positive for pesticides.
"If pesticide is found in the samples of Coke, we will not hesitate to cancel the trade licence of the bottling plant in the industrial hub of Taratola," member, Mayor-in-Council (Health) Pradip Ghosh said.
Speaking to newsmen before visiting the plant, he said that the Taratola factory was under the scanner and the KMC would do everything possible to prevent sale of soft drinks in the metropolis.
Ghosh said that he would ask the bottling plant owner to hand over samples for the health officials of the civic body to conduct necessary tests.
Ghosh, who personally led a team of KMC officials to collect samples of Coca-Cola and Pepsi from retailers and restaurants, said that these had been sent to the KMC laboratory for testing.
The Pepsi bottling plant, located outside the city municipal limit, is yet to be checked by the West Bengal Health department for lab tests for presence of pesticides, he added.
KMC sources said that its health department personnel had fanned out in different parts of the metropolis to carry out random raids on retail outlets and eateries selling Coca-Cola and Pepsi and other brands of the two companies.
Meanwhile, state health department sources said that its officials would swing into action soon to collect samples of and take action "if anything alarming is found on testing."
