New Delhi: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) set up to probe allegations of high levels of pesticides in soft drinks has expanded ambit of its investigations to cover all packed beverages including iced tea and juices but appears vague on whether alcoholic beverages should also be covered.

At its first meeting, the 15-member JPC headed by NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) leader Sharad Pawar deliberated on the scope of its probe and is expected to suggest safety standards for ground water, one of the principal ingredients in the manufacture of all beverages, sources said in New Delhi.

While one of the members said the probe would cover all beverages including liquor, another said the scope of the investigation was vague on the subject.

The JPC members witnessed presentations from two laboratories, Central Food Laboratory and Central Food Technological Research Institute, which had earlier tested the soft drink samples, besides the one from Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research chief R A Mashelkar on the testing methodology used for detection of pesticides.

The JPC was set up in August to probe the report of Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which had claimed that a high percentage of pesticide residues was present in Coca Cola, Pepsi and 10 other soft drink brands and it was harmful for health.

"This JPC had been set up to probe allegations of pesticides in soft drinks, but it should cover all beverages since the basic ingredient - water is common....these include things like iced tea and juices.....I do not expect the report to be ready before the next session of Parliament," sources said adding the panel's terms of reference were vague on whether liquor also fell in its ambit.

Sources said what needed to be decided was the method of detection of pesticide contamination and the permissible quantity and such definitions may be decided by the JPC.

The JPC comprises 10 Lok Sabha members, while the remaining five are from Rajya Sabha.

Sources said some members of JPC wanted liquor also to be covered under the probe since the terms of reference were vague on the issue. JPC was also not sure on the number of ministries and government departments concerned in the matter.

"Apart from three separate ministries involved in devising safety standards for beverages - Health and Family Welfare, Food Processing and Consumer Affairs - the Women and Child Welfare Department needs to be consulted for beverages meant for children," they said.

The JPC may even recommend setting up of an independent body for devising comprehensive safety guidelines, they added.

Besides Pawar, Lok Sabha members in the committee include Ananth Kumar and Sudha Yadav (BJP), Ramesh Chennithala and Avtar Singh Bhadana (Congress), K Yerranaidu (TDP), E Ahmed (ML), Ranjit Kumar Panja (Trinamool Congress), Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party) and Anil Basu (CPI-M).

Rajya Sabha members are; S S Ahluwalia (BJP), Prithviraj Chauhan (Congress), Sanjay Nirupam (Shiv Sena), Prem Chand Gupta (RJD) and Prasanta Chatterjee (CPI-M).

The JPC is scheduled to hold its second meeting in early October.

PTI