Is there anything good about the soft drinks one can tell? The straight answer is no. From empty calories to excess sugar to artificial sweeteners, these drinks are nutritional black holes. Even worse are energy drinks that contain extra caffeine and stimulants in the sugary mix.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is a well-known maxim. Nowadays, humans are continuously exposed to different noxious chemicals primarily due to changes in lifestyle. The food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the environment we live in are contaminated with noxious xenobiotics. Progressive globalization of the food supply and the increase in food intake, such as snacks, soft drinks and fast food, typically form a substantial part of daily life.
Eating habits and food consumption have a direct relation with obesity, diabetes, cancer, hypertension and coronary heart disease. Our planet is alarmingly polluted due to modernization and industrialization, and to add to these anguishes, a healthy lifestyle is also probably endangered through indiscriminate consumption of soft drinks. It is most appropriate to mention that an early intervention is the need of the hour to prevent the potential harm of indiscriminate consumption of soft drinks.
A soft drink (also called soda, pop, fizzy drink, tonic, mineral or carbonated beverage) is a beverage that typically contains water (often, but not always carbonated water), a sweetener, and a flavouring agent. The sweetener may be sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or a sugar substitute (in the case of diet drinks). A soft drink may also contain caffeine, fruit juice, or both.
No less than five diverse toxins have been found in soft drinks marketed and produced by two multinational beverage companies—PepsiCo and Coca-Cola. A government-led study in mid-March-April 2016, commissioned by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), managed and controlled by Ministry of Health, has startled the experts at DTAB as they came to know that they contain high levels of heavy metals like antimony, lead, chromium and cadmium along with the compound DEHP or Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in samples of Pepsi, Coca Cola, Mountain Dew, Sprite and 7Up. The test samples were taken from polyethylene terephthalate bottles.
The results of the test, as carried out under the supervision of DTAB by the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health also confirmed a significant increase in leaching with the rise in room temperature.
By the set of standards drawn out by (WHO), lead and cadmium are among the top ten chemicals of “major public health concern”. Lead can have grave consequences for kids as it affects the brain and central nervous system, causing coma, convulsions and even death. Survivors of lead intoxication may live with mental impedance and behavioural disorders. While, Cadmium affects the kidneys, skeletal system and respiratory system. It is correspondingly defined as a carcinogen. Antimony, chromium and DEHP are known to cause serious side effects on the body. According to AHA (American Heart Association) research sugary soft drinks beverages cause deaths to about 200,000 people every year due to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancers.
There are no protocols set for the upper limits for heavy metals in so-called soft drinks, nor any ethics regarding this in India for safe plastic packaging when compared to the US. That is where beverage manufacturing brands adopt a dual standard without any repercussions for them from the law of the land. While the CSE study (Centre for Science and Environment) New Delhi in a study titled “Soft Drinks Hard Truths II”, a few years back found high levels of noxious pesticides and insecticides in 11 brands sold by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. The study found pesticide particles as high as 52 times above the limits as prescribed by BIS in the test samples gathered across India.
CSE studies found organochlorine pesticides such as (DDT, DDE, DDD, endosulfan and lindane (a carcinogen) as well as organophosphorus pesticides (such as malathion and chlorpyrifos (neurotoxin) in excess. These additives can also cause mild poisoning characterized by headache, faintness and other gastric ailments. The analysis carried out at CSE for these contaminants was found above the standards set by BIS.
There is Decree 65 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (PFA). It regulates the presence of insecticides and pesticides in food. But “food” is so defined in Rule 65 as to exclude “beverages”. Does this mean the Act has nothing to say about cold drinks? Not at all. Sub-section A.01.01 in Appendix B defines the standards of quality for non-alcoholic beverages but has nothing to say about insect-repellent residues. This Act is obligatory but does not regulate insect repellents in soft drinks.
Then, there are the provisions for “sweetened aerated water with no fruit juice or fruit pulp or containing less than 10 per cent of fruit juice or fruit pulp” in Part II (D) of The Fruit Products Order (FPO), 1955. FPO rules are as mandatory as the PFA’s. It legalizes the general characteristics of a beverage. On the eminence of the basic raw material, it merely says: “Water used in the manufacture shall be potable and if required by the licensing officer shall be surveyed chemically and bacteriologically by any recognised lab”. It is worth to mention: “water…shall be potable”. But what is “potable”? The Order does not define it; legally, therefore, the order provides no scope to regulate pesticide residues.
The MNCs were found guilty first by CSE and subsequently by JPC(Joint Parliamentary Committee) as already noticed by the government has hardly backed from their activity of manufacturing and selling the questionable stuff to date as the government fears losing a huge tax market in a vast country like India. The Consumer International based in London has found after extensive research that colas cause tooth decay, overweightness, high blood pressure and low blood glucose levels.
Other ingredients in soft drinks are artificial and natural flavours. Plus, acids such as citric acid and phosphoric acid give a tart taste and act as preservatives. Colouring usually is added and many soft drinks also contain caffeine. While caffeine is not necessarily harmful, it is a stimulant that can affect kids’ alertness and sleep patterns. Caffeine can make children feel anxious, jittery or dizzy. It may even cause headaches. Unfortunately, the Nutrition Facts and other food labels do not list the amount of caffeine. However, most caffeine-free soft drinks say so on the label.
Next time you feel thirsty consider these “think before you drink” tips:
• Drink water when you are thirsty — it is the best way to quench thirst.
• Serve water or low-fat or fat-free milk at meals instead of soft drinks.
• Censor down the number of soft drinks over time. Each week, have a cut back until you reach the goal of drinking less than one serving a day. The day-to-day limit should be no more than 4 to 6 fluid ounces of soft drinks, or — better yet — none at all.
Dr Rayees Ahmad Bhat works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, and can be reached at [email protected].
Dr Sajood Maqbool Bhat, based in Kashmir, is a researcher and independent analyst and can be reached at [email protected]

Dr Rayees Ahmad Bhat and Dr Sajood Maqbool Bhat