New Delhi: In the backdrop of the raging pesticides-colas controversy, government has issued a draft notification for revision of standards to regulate the presence of metals and pesticides in beverages.

The draft notification issued for public comment within a month proposes to extend the norms for pesticide residues in bottled water which will come to force from January 1 next year to all kinds of beverages including soft drinks as well.

The draft has been issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and after public response will be taken up for consideration and later notified under the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act.

The draft proposes a limit of 0.0001 mg per litre individually and 0.0005 mg a litre collectively for pesticide residues.

The notification also proposes more stringent limits for presence of heavy metals in all kinds of beverages. The standards for lead, for instance, have to be made 50 times tighter to 0.01 mg a litre from 0.5 mg per litre in line with the new norms for bottled water.

Likewise, the standards for presence of copper are fixed 140 times tighter at 0.05 mg a litre in the draft notification against the current limit of 7.0 mg a litre under PFA.

PTI