The Hindu : Health Ministry objects to Pepsi advertisement

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2003

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Health Ministry objects to Pepsi advertisement

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 25. Pepsico India is faced with fresh problems. The Union Health Ministry has taken strong objections to the company putting out "misleading" advertisements that the Centre has given its soft drink a clean chit. The Ministry has asked the soft drinks giant to immediately publish an "unconditional" apology in the same newspapers where the advertisements were placed and with the same prominence.

In a strongly-worded letter, the Ministry complained that the company had twisted the Health Minister, Sushma Swaraj's statement in Parliament by using only part of a sentence. "It is obvious that the remaining part of the sentence was wilfully concealed with questionable motive".

The letter also said the Minister's statement had clearly stated that pesticide residues were found in all the 12 samples that were tested and in nine of them, their levels were found to be above the prescribed European Union norms. "Thus your claim that the product is conforming to EU norms was not true".

Asking the company to withdraw the advertisement immediately and stop any other publicity campaigns it may be proposing on that line, the Ministry has said: "This is without prejudice to any further action the Government may propose to take in this matter."

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